


The Muggles Surprise

by SDLawrie



Series: The Muggle and the Auror [1]
Category: Wizarding World - Fandom, Wizarding world future - Fandom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Auror, Complete, Detective, Gen, Investigation, Magic, Murder, Thriller, Wizarding World, Wizarding World Future, muggle
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-19
Updated: 2018-07-27
Packaged: 2019-04-04 19:19:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 86,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14027016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SDLawrie/pseuds/SDLawrie
Summary: So, what does happen when a retiring detective, who knows nothing of the Wizarding world, is forced to team up with a young and inexperienced Auror, who has to keep his background a secret while trying to solve a series of murders. Could our serial killer be a muggle, or a wizard, or worse? Set in 2040.26 Chapters, 87K. Complete.





	1. The Muggle

**Author's Note:**

> Part one of the Muggle and the Auror Series  
> 86K 26 Chapters and Complete. A new chapter uploaded each week.  
> Book 1 The Muggles Surprise  
> Book 2 The Auror's Lament  
> Book 3 The Extensions  
> Book 4 The Detective

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam Croft finds his retirement is not how or what he expected.

The Muggles Surprise

Book One of the Muggle and Auror Series.

 

Prologue.

A door opened and a huge man, dressed in a long shaggy overcoat entered. A second much shorter man, already in the room, looked around the man mountain at a woman standing in the next room.  
“Why the hell did you bring her here?” He whispered in an American accent.  
“She’s the replacement for the one we’ve lost?” He replied, his deep voice echoing around the room as he looked down at the much smaller man.  
“She’s a bloody witch you fool.”  
“No, she’s not, she’s a muggle.”  
“I saw her in the Ministry the other day.” A look of concern appeared on the much bigger man’s face.  
He stepped back into the panelled room. “Who are you?” He snapped at the odd-looking woman, standing against the far wall, dressed in neat, fussy clothing of all colours.  
“Argonia Huxley. I demand you let me go now, or you’ll be sorry.”  
She reached into her bag and pulled out a short stick. Seconds later the huge man had copied her movement.  
‘Expelliarmus.’ He thought. The stick in the woman’s hand flew across the room.  
“How dare you?” She screamed in anger at the man. She ran towards her wand.  
The man raised his wand again. “Avada Kedavra.” He yelled. A bright green flash caught the woman, throwing her into the wall where she slid down, slumping onto the floor, her eyes wide open, staring vacantly at the ceiling.  
The first man ran into the room. “Hell's teeth, this isn’t some muggle you’ve just killed, this is a witch, you bloody fool?” He walked over to the dead woman.  
“Don’t you dare call me a fool.” The American realised the wand was still in his hand and pointing at him. “This solves the problems, doesn’t it?”  
“What now?”  
“I’ll put her body with the other two.”  
“But she’s a witch. The Ministry could get involved.”  
“They won’t bother. They’ll leave everything to the muggle police who will find nothing as usual.”  
“I hope your right because this whole business is getting out of hand.”  
“You American’s worry too much.”

 

Chapter 1.

The Muggle.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.  
Arthur C. Clarke (Author and Visionary)

Magic used correctly, can be indistinguishable from technology.  
Pereguin Ledford (Author and Wizard)

Monday, August 20th, 2040 was supposed to be my penultimate days’ work as a Detective with the Metropolitan Police. Had I known what was about to happen this day, I would have stayed in bed, until someone came to get me, but I didn’t. As I look back on these last twenty-two years, age creeping up on me, maudlin, a little, I wonder, have I made the slightest difference to this world? What could I have done to change what will happen in the next few weeks? The strange thing is, if I want to know, all I have to do is ask, I’m just too scared to.

Monday, August 20th, 2040.

The sound of screeching metal on metal assaulted his ears as he stared back at himself in the dirty window, the tube train speeded up along the grubby tunnel towards Victoria station. He took a deep breath as the carriage rocked from side to side, looking at the cropped dark, peppered grey hair, deep-set eyes, with dark circles under them from another poor night’s sleep. Something was worrying him, the something that kept him awake most of the night, the something that wormed its way into his head. He took another deep breath as the train’s lights flickered and the speed bled away. He prepared himself for the onslaught of commuters about to scramble onto the carriage. The brightly lit station blinded him for a moment as the train came to a savage halt, throwing the standing commuters around like marionettes. The doors opened and a small group rushed into the carriage although a few commuters still had to fight their way off. He had expected the carriage to fill, crushing him into a corner, but commuter numbers grew smaller every year and by the time the carriage doors closed, he noticed that the carriage was little more than half-full. They plunged back into the dark tunnel, the carriage lights flickering.

  
A few minutes walking in the early summer sunshine, past Big Ben and along the Thames had removed the anger and frustration of the tube ride, even though the tube ride had nothing to do with his current bad mood. He strode past the electronic barriers and into the police station’s main entrance; the cameras had seen and recognised him as he walked up the street, preparing the doors in readiness as he arrived. Being a mere mortal like the other officers, he had to use the rear entrance and not the shiny foyer that faced the Thames.  
The station’s rear entrance, recently remodelled and cleaned yet again, looking shiny and clean, which he knew would not last long. A row of large display screens sat above handle-less metal doors ranged along the long wall, opposite, a row of uncomfortable steel chairs bolted to the floor, already showing signs of damage. The displays showed different messages, pertinent to what lay behind each door, aiding people to reach the destination, whether by their own will or not. He headed for the display at the far end next to the last heavy metal door, signed, a ‘Desk Sergeant’.  
He waved a tablet at the door, hearing a beep and the sound of a lock opening. The door opened on small motors.  
“Message for you.” Came from the display. Adam stopped and turned back to looked at the desk sergeant. “Chief Superintendent Marchbank wants to see you as soon as you arrive.”  
“Must be about my retirement.” A broad smile reappeared on his face as he shrugged off his light jacket, straightening his white shirt, checking the press-stud at the collar.  
“You won’t retire. What would you do with yourself?”  
“I have a home in Wales, an extension to finish building, and the whole place needs decorating. There are different places to walk and discover every day.” He said as he passed through the open door for the second time. “More importantly, no one to tell me what to do all day and nobody fucking swearing at me.” He shouted back strolling along the corridor.  
“Who the hell ever told you what to do?” The sergeant shouted after him, Adams laugh echoed down the corridor. “See you at the Christmas do then?” The sergeant finished as the door closed.

 

A lift ride and a short walk brought him to the Chief Super’s office, he rapped on the door.  
“Enter.” A crisp educated voice came from behind the door at the same time he could hear chairs scraping across the carpet as the door slid open.  
“Commissioner Nugent, this is Detective Chief Inspector Adam Croft.” Said the Chief the moment he entered the room. Adams mistrust lurched and formed a stone in his stomach as he asked himself what the commissioner of police could want in the Chief Superintendent’s office. He wondered how he even knew it existed; let alone how to find it.  
“Adam and I have known each other for many years.” The two men shook hands and immediately tried to size each other up. The Commissioners face, like the rest of him was rakishly thin. He looked weak, but Adam knew from experience, he was like a rock and he would stamp on anyone who got in his way. “I hear you were looking forward to your retirement?” A knowing smile appeared on his face, the large stone in Adams’ stomach sank a little lower.  
“We both know that’s not true.” There was a little disdain in his voice. “Am I to assume something about my retirement is about to change?” His stomach churned, everyone had stopped talking about his retirement, which meant everyone knew about this, but him.  
“A temporary setback, nothing more.” His voice was friendly enough, but Adam could hear a strained quality in his voice giving him away. “I assume you have handed over all your current cases?” He sat on the chair, pointing at the third chair for Adam to sit.  
“Last one was handed over yesterday afternoon to D.I. Metcalf.” Adam said, knowing something was coming, although he could not understand why the commission wanted to know about his cases, the information was available in seconds on the police net.  
“We have had a request from a Minister.” Again, Adam could hear something in his voice, then he realised what it was, the man was embarrassed.  
“I assume you know my stance on religion.” Adams confusion now grew as a smile appeared on the Commissioners face.  
“A Government Minister, no name and no idea of the department he’s from, has requested you,” he pointed at Adam, “personally, work on one last case.” The commissioner leaned forward looking straight into Adams’ eyes. “This has come directly from the PM’s under-secretary.” He paused for a moment. “Which means the request has come directly from the PM.”  
“Why me”? He asked, not expecting a straight answer.  
“I don’t know and as you’d expect, I’m not thrilled about it.” He sat back, a perplexed look on his face. “You’ll be working with a man called Anthony Garrett. Here’s some information on him.” The commissioner passed over a yellow cardboard folder, something Adam had not seen in quite a few years. He opened it up, took a single yellowed handwritten page out, and scanned the content.  
“He has no work history since he left some private school?” He looked at the commissioner who nodded back. “What police experience does he have?” Again, the commission said nothing, giving a shake of his head.  
Adam sat back in the chair and closed the folder. “The man’s a fucking spook.”  
The commissioner closed his eyes and said. “I have nothing else to add.”  
“What the hell are you getting me into?” Asked Adam, the anger he was feeling now coming to the fore as he looked at both men, the Super was staring at the Commissioner who looked neither of them in the eye that told Adam all he needed to know.  
“We, they,” he corrected, “want you to look into some murders; we think we have a serial killer on the loose.” He said ignoring Adams question.  
“I’ve heard nothing in the news about this?” The commissioner nodded.  
“This has been kept out of the press’s reach and will continue to do so until all parties are ready. We don’t want to start a panic.”  
“And I am the sacrificial lamb if it all goes wrong.”  
“No.” The commissioner spat angrily. “If I had to put any police officer on this job, it would have been you. You are the most dogged annoying pain the arse I have ever had the misfortune to command.” He paused for a moment, his own anger getting the better of him for a moment. “I’ve had more complaints and threats because of you than any other officer.” His voice still betraying his anger. “But your accomplishments are second to none.” He added in a softer tone.  
“And that’s the only reason you haven’t fired me.” Adam started to get out the chair the commissioner waved him back into the chair.  
“If I wanted you fired, you’d have been out on your arse years ago.” The commissioner’s voice betrayed his anger again. Adam was puzzled why the man was so angry.  
“No, but giving me a onetime offer of retirement has made life so much easier for you hasn’t it?”  
The commissioner gave him a hard glare for a moment weighing something up in his mind. “You were asked for by name.” He ignored Adam’s comment again. “Apparently you worked on a case a few years ago that were politically sensitive.  
Adam thought for a moment. “What, the MP kidnappings?” The commissioner nodded. “I spent months on that case, I got the MP’s back, I built up the evidence needed to go to the prosecution, the perpetrators were under arrest and it stopped, the whole bloody case was closed. Every single bastard was released without charge. How the hell is that in any way good?” The commissioner nodded.  
“That was the case that got you your DCI.”  
“Which I didn’t want.” He almost spat the words.  
“Bollocks, you threatened and pissed off so many politicians, I’m still surprised they didn’t invent a new law to have you locked up, but no, you got a promotion.” The commissioner’s voice had edged up in loudness and anger again.  
“I was about to put several high-ranking MP’s in jail. What happened, they walked away. Two of the fuckers are still in the government at the very highest level to this day.” The anger in Adams’ voice had risen to match the Commissioners, who looked away, waiting for Adam to finish.  
“I can’t discuss the case.” He whispered, his anger subsiding.  
“Look up my notes and case reports, the crooked bastards names are still there in black and white. Even the little men at the bottom got away. Half of them can’t be found anymore. It’s as if they have disappeared off the face of the planet.”  
“Your notes, evidence, and everything related to the case have been sealed, directly from the PM’s office. I tried to look the other day after my meeting with the PM’s undersecretary. I received a phone call from someone asking me to refrain from looking at things that are above my pay grade.” The commissioner looked down at his hands for a moment. “I understand a veiled threat when I hear one.”  
Adam paused for a moment, trying to get some sense from what he was hearing, realising the man’s anger was not directed at him, but the position someone was putting him in.  
“What, everything?”  
“Yes, the whole case has top secret stamped all over it.”  
Adam shook his head while he looked at the floor. “Something is wrong with our government and you know it.”  
“Adam.” Said the commissioner quietly, making Adam look up at him. “I have been talking to some very senior people about that particular case.”  
“What, do they think it’s a cover-up as well?” He asked disdainfully.  
“Yes.” Adam sat up in his chair surprised at the admission; the chief had also sat up and was looking at the commissioner.  
“You agree with me.”  
“Someone has blocked everything to do with that case.” The commissioner paused for a moment, which did little to help the unease Adam was feeling. “They are not the face of the government we know, they are from behind the scenes, and I am sure they are the same people that have demanded you work on this case.”  
Adam frowned. “That makes no sense.”  
“No, it doesn’t.”  
“Is it because I am retiring?” Adam asked after a moment.  
“We both know the reasons for your retirement.” He took a deep breath. “I was asked, no, I was threatened that I had to find a way of talking you out retirement.” The commissioner paused for a moment. “And if I couldn’t talk you out of it, I was to apply any level of pressure I wanted.” The commissioner smiled.  
“But you have used it for your own ends?” Adam asked wryly.  
“I didn’t get to be commissioner by ignoring gift horses that are placed in front of me.”  
“That has to be the most honest thing I have ever heard you say,” Adam replied surprised at his honesty.  
He ignored Adam’s comment. “I’m advised that your pension rights have been extended, which will benefit you when you do retire.”  
Adam sat in the chair, looking at the floor for a few moments, thinking furiously. Finally, he looked at both men. “When do I start?” He asked with a resigned voice. “I hope you have more information for me than this?” He waved the single sheet of paper under the commissioner’s nose.  
“You’ve already started. I’m told that DCI Garrett will have all the information you require.”  
“DCI”? He shouted in disbelief. The commissioner’s head dropped down again, Adam could see he was not happy.  
“One of the requests the Ministry would not budge on. You are to be equal partners at all times. All information is to be shared.” The commissioner carried on before he could speak. “You are to meet your new partner at this address at three this afternoon.” He handed Adam an old-fashioned Post-it note, again something he hadn’t seen for many years, with the address of a café he used quite often. “That should give you plenty of time to get yourself organised.” The commissioner stood up, Adam and the Super followed suit.  
“What resources will I have to call on?” Adam asked, knowing he had no way out.  
The Commissioner had stopped in mid-stride. It was obvious that he did not want to answer this question. “That is the other demand from the Ministry.” He said quietly. “You have your partner; nobody else is to be involved”  
“Seriously, two DCI’s working together on a case, I’ve never heard of anything so stupid.”  
“I have nothing else for you, only that your expenses are unlimited, within reason. You have a car or transport for when you need it, everything else you can pay for on your notebook. Don’t worry about receipts.” He paused as he opened the door about to leave. “Give the Chief a ring when you need something, he’ll sort it out for you.” He looked at the Chief and received a nod.  
“Yes, sir.” The chief snapped after a moment’s hesitation.

  
The door opened, and the commissioner strode down the corridor, as the door slid closed. The Chief sat down.  
“Sorry about this.” He smiled grimly for a moment. Adam retook his seat. “Is it true what he said about your retirement”? He asked as he walked back around to his desk and sat down.  
“Yes, I have no choice, but keep it to yourself. If it gets around that you know why I’m going, your own career could be in jeopardy.”  
“I’m shocked, deeply shocked.”  
“What of, that I pissed a lot of people off and now I’m paying for it.”  
“That’s what we do, that’s the nature of the job.”  
“Not anymore it isn’t.”  
Both men descended into silence until Adam broke it.  
“Flights, unlimited expenses, what the hell am I Involved in?”  
“I have no idea; I knew nothing about this until he showed up fifteen minutes ago, for a chat, scared the shit out of me. Check a gun and ammo out as soon as we’ve finished here.” The chief looked him straight in the eyes. “When you get to grips with the case, let me know what resources you need, I’ll get them brought in, sod the Commissioner. I’ve set up incident room four for you to use.”  
“Gun?” Adam asked after a moment.  
“I checked, you’re up to date with your firearms certificates. I’d suggest you get both types of ammunition, for your own protection.”  
“You think I need protection”? Adam was starting to take all this in and the anger he was almost suppressing threatened to come out, at the wrong person.  
“I have no idea, but a comment you made earlier about your new partner and the fact that two DCI’s are doing the job of a DS or a DI, would suggest that nothing about the case is normal or above board.”  
Adam shook his head. “The further up the political tree you get, the dirtier the crimes.”  
“And the harder the job.” The Super finished as he stood up offering his hand to Adam. “Watch your back Adam and keep me informed through our usual channels.”


	2. The Auror

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Auror gets his orders.

He stopped and stared at himself in a shop window, sweeping long blond hair from his deep brown eyes, a grin almost permanently fixed on his face. It had been two days since he received the order to report for his first solo job, and he was an hour early. There were few people around to get in his way this early in the morning. A pair of dog walkers, a lone woman pushing an elaborate pushchair that seemed to push itself.

He checked his reflection out again, in the last shop window before the entrance to the park. He straightened his black tie, tucked his black shirt into his black trousers, and fastened the single button on his black jacket. The standard uniform for his line of work, old-fashioned compared to what he usually wore, but he felt pride after all these years of training. His black suit was unsuitable for the heat of the day, which again was climbing into the eighties, but he had made sure the heat would not bother him today.

Stopping outside the entrance to the cemetery, he took the small piece of yellowing paper from his pocket, reading the instructions yet again, still unsure he was reading it correctly. It told him to enter the cemetery and walk down the path, head to the left and stop at the large grey and white monument. He walked along the path passing a multitude of tombstones, some lying on their sides, others weather-worn and smooth. Between these monuments were small trees, reclaiming the land. He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the drone of the bees flying around a huge rambling honeysuckle, the scent filling his nose.

He was about to walk forward, when a strange looking man walked up to him, nodded amiably, turned to the statue, walked towards it and disappeared, the air around him shimmered for a moment. He grinned following the man, realising he was going the right way. As he walked forward, he felt a tingling sensation as he passed through the shimmering barrier. The man in front looked back, looking worried, as he descended a dark stone staircase. He continued walking down the stairs, turning several times at landings, the man in front looking back every time they turned, speeding up the further they descended. Some seven floors down, he came to a short tunnel, the strange man had moved fast enough to be out of sight. 

He continued walking out onto a wide paved area, which ended with a drop a few yards away. Looking along the tunnel he saw the little man standing with a small group of people, who were staring at him, with some hostility. He walked to the edge of the platform and looked down at the bright shiny metal rails, stretching off into the darkness of the tunnel. He looked the other way and saw a blank brick wall; the tracks coming to a halt a few feet from it.

He pulled another piece of paper from his pocket, seemingly made of a soft gold coloured metal. The little ticket advised him he could access all stations to Bishops Bridge, which told him nothing. He had studied the tube map, and he never found Bishops Bridge.

A deep rumble felt rather than heard heralded the arrival of an old-fashioned dark green tube train, which seemed to throw itself into the station, coming to a halt before it hit the far wall, the wheels stopping inches from the end of the rails. It was only a single carriage with a door at either end, both of which opened. He stepped aboard, noticing that the other passengers entered the other door and stayed at the other end of the carriage. The doors slammed closed, and the train lurched back the way it arrived, forcing him to grab wildly for one of the hanging straps.

He barely had the chance to sit on the red plush seat and take in the polished woods surroundings before the train pulled into the next station. Along the wall was a sign stating Bishops Bridge Station. A female voice boomed from all around him. "Bishops Bridge, all change." The doors opened themselves; the other passengers stopped off, still giving him strange unfriendly looks. He followed them off the train and along the single platform, down a small side tunnel, following the others and their looks. 

At the other end of the tunnel, he walked straight into a queue of people, held up by a long row of small wooden desks. Beside each desk was a small upright chair with a person seated on them. The atrium looked like the entrance to a tube station rather than one of the most illustrious institutions in the world, admittedly, unknown to most. This was his first visit to the Ministry, and he spent his time staring at the ornate tiling on the walls, which made the place look like a well lit Victorian Street, stretching off into the distance. While he waited in the queue, watching person after person entering through dozens of ornate fireplaces amid bursts of green fire, more people were entering from a tunnel at the far end.

"Have your details and wands ready for inspection." A booming, female voice came from all directions at once, overbearing the steady loud murmur of people talking, moving, and walking all around him. The queue shuffled forward until he reached one of the small wooden desks. In the wooden chair sat a young woman, in a bright green shawl over an orange jumper, looking up at him, palm upwards in front of her. He placed his wand in her palm and the parchment on the desk in front of her.

She closed her hand on the wand and looked at him with impossibly large amber eyes. "Spruce, Inflexible, troll whisker, six inches. You have rather a small wand Auror Garrett." She dropped his wand into a box on the desk that already contained over thirty wands. The piece of parchment he had placed on the table had folded itself into a flying plane and now floated in front of him. "Follow the memo to the Minister's office, good day."  
"Thank you and my wand works perfectly." He said with a deep voice. The woman looked into his eyes again.  
"I'm sure it does Tony." She replied. "Follow the memo."

Dismissed, he walked across the huge open area, so big and high, that he could see birds or something flying around way above him. For most of the walk, he dodged an assortment of differently dressed people, all heading in different directions, oblivious to each other. He felt panic rise as he realised that he had lost his memo. Above him, hundreds of folded parchments flitted around in all directions, somehow missing each other in an amazing aerial ballet. His parchment dropped and buzzed around his head before continuing off along a dark corridor. He caught up with his parchment again, floating in front of one of the cage doors. He stopped and watched the lift arrive at speed, making him step back as it stopped. The gate opened with a crash allowing the parchment to enter, he followed, grabbing one a handle that hung from the ceiling, knowing what was about to happen.

Luckily, the trip only lasted a moment, travelling up two floors, then sideways for a moment, depositing him at another long corridor. He exited the lift as two small men, carrying large cauldrons and a strange assortment of plants, passed him into the lift. The man holding the plants was avoiding large purple leaves that were trying to spear him in the face every couple of seconds. He watched the cage door slam closed, and the lift sped off, taking the men and plants with it.

Looking at the corridor, he realised this one was less used, the carpet clean, with no visible threadbare sections. At the end of a corridor, were three green painted doors, with polished brass letter boxes. The central door had the number 42, also in brass at the top. The parchment dropped down through the letterbox and out of sight. He was about to reach for a handle, realising there wasn't one.

Tony took a deep breath and raised his hand to knock as the door opened. A tall, although shorter than Tony, balding, dark grey-suited man stood before him, what was left of his hair was bright ginger peppered with grey.  
"Anthony Garrett, Percy Weasley". His hand shot out, which Tony took. "Nice to meet you, do come in." Tony was more than surprised as he realised that this meeting was to be with the Minister for Magic himself, and not some flunky.

Percy stood to one side, allowing Tony to enter a small room, with a small vacant desk along one side. Another door, further on, opened itself.  
"Carry on through and take a seat."  
He entered an old Victorian drawing room, with furniture to match, the pictures on the wall full of old people. Tony settled himself down in the armchair opposite the Minister for Magic, feeling unnerved by the people in the pictures staring down at him, and that the boss himself was sitting in front of him. He was older than Tony expected, the photos of him in the Daily Prophet were old.  
"Down to business, as they say." He said as he sat down opposite, elbows on the desk. Tony nodded and smiled. "Your parents are non-magical, I am informed." Tony's heart sank, he'd been told many times during his school and training years, that Muggle parents were a setback to anyone's career.  
"Yes Minister, they are." He said with resignation.  
"Good, good, good,". Percy said, smiling. "I assume that you have spent your holidays in the Muggle world?"  
"Yes, Minister." A note of confusion entered his voice. "Although I now have temporary quarters in the Leaky Cauldron, and I haven't been home for eight months."  
"Good, good, good."  
"Minister, forgive my interruption, but what has my Muggle background have to do with my job as an Auror?"  
"Good question, in fact, an excellent question." Percy's head leant forward looking Tony straight in the eyes. "Few Auror's come from non-magical families, so although they are superb at their jobs, they are hopeless at fitting into the Muggle world." He paused for a moment, still smiling. "You should be able to fit in easily, and you have," he paused for a moment, "history."  
"History?" He exclaimed. "I don't understand?"  
"You have certain items that Muggles have, National insurance number, medical history and you know how to use all the Muggle technology."  
"I suppose so." Said Tony even more confused than before, knowing his history with Muggle technology was disastrous at best.  
"Good. You see," Percy sat back in the armchair, "we've had a little problem dropped on us. The Muggle Prime Minister has asked for help in solving some murders."  
"What's so special about them that they need us?" He asked, wondering where this was going.  
"The problem is that we had some murders as well, in fact, one of the murdered people the muggles want us to investigate is a witch," Tony said nothing, waiting for the minister to continue. "So, your job is to meet with a DCI Adam Croft and aid him, while exploring our own problems. To make things more difficult, you will keep your abilities secret from him, and anyone working for, or with him."  
"That's why I have to pass as a Muggle?"  
"Yes. I would guess that the first thing he does, would be to investigate your past history, that's if someone in their organisation has not already done so." He smiled conspiratorially at Tony. "We have made up some history for you, all of which is out of the country, so their ability to verify any of it, will be difficult, if not impossible." The smile changed to a smugness that Tony found he did not like.  
"Do you have the information on my history, as I'll need to know it?"  
"I have it here." A small roll of parchment tied with a thin piece of red ribbon appeared in his hand. "Now, for the most part, you will be in the Muggle world, without any backup from the Ministry, you will have to work closely with this DCI." Percy sat back in his chair again. "I suspect the knowledge you gain about investigating, will be very useful in the future. But, nobody outside of this room will know what you're doing."  
"So everyone already knows about it then?" Tony said wryly.  
Percy leant forwards again as the grin re-appeared. "Of course everyone knows, which is going to make your job a lot harder." Another parchment roll appeared in his hand. "Now this is the information you will need about our murders." Percy handed him the second roll.  
"What happens if I get into trouble and need help?"  
"You'll have your partner, the DCI and you have your magic, which puts you at a great advantage over the Muggles."  
"But we've had murders within our world, surely the people who have committed them will have the same advantage as me, more so if they have experience." Worry wormed its way into Tony's mind.  
"Yes, probably." Percy nodded as he stood up. "I'm told you're very skilled with a wand, thanks to your training in Durmstrang, so that shouldn't be a problem." Tony stood up. "Now, important things for you to remember." Percy continued, his manner now brisk, not giving Tony the chance to ask any more questions. "Your luggage has been removed from the Leaky Cauldron and is now at 12 Grimmauld Place. It's a ministry house, which will be your home for the duration of the case and until you find something more permanent. You can use the Floo network to access it."

He was bustled out of the room, through the smaller office and into the corridor, more than a little confused and angry.  
"Make use of the Auror office in Knocturn Alley when and if you need it. You can leave messages there for the Ministry if you think it's important enough. Please be careful. Goodbye Mr Garrett." The Minister closed the door which reopened almost and the Minister's head re-appeared. "You'll meet this DCI at this address around three o'clock this afternoon." He held out a small piece of parchment with some writing and a picture on it. As soon as he took it, the door closed again.

He retraced his earlier steps back to the lifts as he read the two pieces of parchment and the note in utter disbelief. Both contained a couple of lines of handwritten text, the first had the names of the murdered people, the other had all the things the Minister had already told him. He turned back, planning to demand more information. His mouth hung open in shock, as the former door with 42 written on it, was no longer there.  
Tony left the Ministry after picking up his wand at the desk where he came in. The large-eyed girl smiled at him, but he was far too preoccupied to notice her.

He wandered along the corridor, back to the tube station, before he realised what he was doing. He stepped onto the train, that pulled out the moment he sat, and before he knew it, he was back at the cemetery, wondering what he was going to do next. He checked the time, then looked at the piece of parchment the Minister had given him, realising the Cauldron and a drink could wait, he had another appointment, one he would dare not miss.


	3. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The detective and the Auror meet and discuss the case.

Adam ambled through the warm afternoon sunshine, mingling with the shoppers. A certain amount of trepidation weighed on his mind as he turned the last corner, bringing him out opposite the front of the cafe. 

Set back from the road, the first-floor overhanging the footpath, the front of the cafe in deep shadow. Standing in front of the cafe's window stood a man, tall, as tall as Adam, skinny and sallow-faced with long blond hair, fringe falling over his left eye. To Adam, he looked like a kid out of school, still in his school uniform. Black jacket, tie and shirt, pressed and spotless, but old-fashioned. The jacket was much longer than fashion dictated at the moment. Adam could tell at a glance he was unfit, his build, and stance giving him away.

He stopped to watch his new partner for a few moments, as his blond head moved from side to side, watching everybody as they walked passed. The man ran his hand through his hair, combing it back out of his eyes, which slid back as his head moved. The hand ran through the hair again. Adams mind switched up a gear at what was bothering him. He had long hair, a real rarity these days as, it was not fashionable, as most preferred their hair cropped short, so it would not get in the way of virtual headgear. It was usual these days for people to have everything shaved.

He spoke out loud to himself, "Fuck me, it's James Bond's baby brother." He shook his head, realising that he had seen no one who looked less like a spy in his life. He did not look like a police officer either. He watched the hair thing again, realising this would drive him mad. 

Adam looked up and down the street, intending to walk across the road when he saw a very large man with long black hair, and a big heavy shaggy overcoat, strange because it was over eighty degrees. The man was staring at his new partner, or that was how it seemed from where he stood.

Looking up at the clock on the wall of the restaurant and saw it was now three o'clock. His eyes strayed back to the café, finding he was being stared at. Blondie gave an exaggerated shrug of impatience. How long had he known Adam was watching him? He looked up the road, realising that the huge man had disappeared. He put him out of his head and walked across the road, dodging between the almost silent electric cars, before vaulting the metal railing onto the footpath.

"Anthony I assume," He said as he stepped to one side to allow the rest of the people on the footpath to continue past them.  
"I prefer Tony." His hand came out to give a perfunctory shake.  
"Tony it is. I'm Adam, as you already know." He smiled, in the same way, he did at perps and victims, with his mouth only.  
"Shall we get off the street, Adam?" There was no humour in the man's voice. To Adam, he seemed cold, more like he would expect from a spy. Maybe his first impressions had been wrong, done to put him off. He turned away from Adam and entered the cafe without another word. Adam felt almost dismissed and he could feel anger wearing away at what little good humour he had left. Reluctantly he followed him in, realising that he needed to take control of this partnership as quickly as possible, or this youngster would assume he was in charge, and he was having none of that. 

On a table in the corner, sat two drinks, still steaming. Tony sat down, brushed his hair back yet again, gesturing to the other seat and drink. "Black coffee with two sweeteners. Mine, when pushed to drink in a cafe, is tea, no milk, no sugar or sweeteners."  
He played it as coolly as this youngster was, taking a sip of his drink. "Good coffee." He said putting the cup down.  
"Is it, never touch the stuff?" He grimaced as he swallowed a sip of his tea. "And this is awful."

He was about to speak when he saw that Tony was gearing himself up to talk.  
"Adam, can we set a few ground rules?" He nodded. "We will meet people whom you will know, how they think, and how to talk to them. When we have to deal with this type of person, I will keep quiet, and not interfere with anything you do." Adam frowned, undecided about what was coming next. "We will also meet people I am used to dealing with in my work. I would appreciate it if you did the same for me."  
"Your line of work, is what?" He asked almost spitting the last word. Tony said nothing, shrugging as he shook his head, which made his hair fall again. "You're not going to tell me?" He asked, his voice getting louder.  
"I wouldn't know where to start explaining my work. I have trouble understanding it myself sometimes." He whispered.  
"Try," Adam said menacingly.  
"I am under strict orders, to reveal nothing about my work, but I am under orders, to watch how you," he paused for a moment, "solve a crime."  
"You know how to, you're a policeman or so I'm told." His voice no longer whispering. Tony brought his head down and leant across the table.  
Still whispering he said. "Policemen yes, sort of, but not in detective work in the way you work."  
"I don't understand?" Adam said perplexed, bringing his own voice down.  
"I'm new to this, my bosses expect me to gain ability on police thinking and procedure from you, while we solve this crime."  
"How new?" He spoke slowly, a note of despair entering his voice, not missed by Tony.  
He looked down at his drink. "This is my first solo case." He continued to look at his drink.  
Alarm bells were ringing in Adams' head as they sat in silence, watching the people walk past until he spoke.

"Do you have a team?"  
"A team?" He asked, confused.  
"Other people like yourself, ready to help?"  
"Normally, we work in pairs," Tony paused. "but I was told to keep this as low key as possible, need to know basis."  
"Accountability." He said knowingly as Tony nodded. He downed the last of his coffee and stood up. "I have an office back at the yard. We might as well get our information onto a computer as fast as possible. I was told I wouldn't need a team, but bollocks to that, I'll get a small low key team set up."   
"I don't think a team is a good idea." Tony had remained seated.  
"Why?" He asked re-seating himself.  
"The fewer people involved the safer it will be for all concerned. Also, a team is hardly low key."  
Adam leant forward and whispered. "We're investigating a string of murders, you can't get low key investigating a serial killer. The two of us can't cover the ground, or interview all the suspects on our own. Shit, I haven't interviewed a single person in five years."  
"What suspects?" Tony asked finally looking into Adams' eyes.  
Adam thought for a moment. "Good point, but we will have suspects, a lot of suspects."  
He could see the confusion in Tony's eyes, so he waited for the next question.  
"Why haven't you interviewed anyone in the last five years? I thought that's what the police did?"

He realised that this young man knew nothing about the police or investigation even though for now he would be a DCI.   
"A DCI is a manager of people and resources. He has DC's, DS's and DI's doing the interviewing and running around."  
"I don't think my people understood this."  
"That is pretty clear."  
Tony thought for a moment. "So, until we have some suspects, we keep things between you and me."  
"All right, but I'm not happy about this, and neither will my bosses."  
"There are a lot of things you aren't going to be happy about, but your bosses have no input."  
"My bosses will demand." Tony interrupted.   
"Your bosses will do exactly as the Ministry decides and so will I."   
This sudden outburst brought Adam's train of thought to a halt, as he realised Tony was scared of his bosses, whoever they were.

 

Adam had led the way down many streets until they reached Scotland Yard, and not once had he spoken, even as they passed through the entrance hall. His eyebrows lifted in surprise when Tony stopped at the entrance door.   
"Do you have one of these?" He asked, taking the clear plastic oblong tablet from his pocket. Tony shook his head. Adam looked up at the display at the face of the desk Sergeant, different from earlier.  
"Name?" The Sergeant asked.  
"Tony Garrett."  
"Rank?"  
"DCI, I think."   
"You think?" He asked loudly, looking towards Adam. He nodded and the Sergeants face dropped out of sight for a moment. The head came back up looking quite surprised. "Put your hand on the red plate beside the door. Tony complied, and the door beeped and opened.  
"Welcome to Scotland Yard, DCI Garrett." Tony nodded back, ignoring the sarcasm in the sergeant's voice.

The entrance had done little for Adams mood as he tramped through the labyrinth of corridors until he came to his office.   
Desks and chairs scattered around, all facing a large blank wall. The rear wall had a large comfortable settee along it, with a coffee table in front. The room's colour scheme was shades of grey, boring as hell, but did nothing to detract from the job at hand. The third wall partitioned a separate office behind a glass wall. The fourth wall had the door they had entered. Tony looked around and saw there were no windows.

"Is this it?" Tony asked, expecting to see computers on each desk and filing cabinets. Adam reached into his pocket and pulled his tablet out again, which sat in the palm of his hand. "A Policeman's digital notebook, this, along with cloud storage and a high-speed data link, is all we need. Of course, you know all this." He held the notebook up and touched the front with his finger and it turned into a neat screen, displaying the forces logo.   
"Display details of my current case," He said to the room. The screen in his hand displayed small photos and files, far too small for Tony to read. Adam walked over to the blank wall and touched the surface with the edge of the notebook. The wall turned out to be a huge display screen, which lit up with pictures, which were identical to those on the notebook. He dropped it on the desk before walking over to the large display, standing in front of it.  
"Adam, I know this situation is far from ideal, but what have I done wrong?" Tony asked, taking a seat behind the nearest desk.  
"You haven't done anything wrong," he replied, his voice emotionless, "yet." He added to himself, but loud enough for Tony to hear.  
"Then why are you so bloody angry?"  
Adam's head dropped to his chest as he took a deep breath. "I'm not angry at you, I'm angry about bloody everything at the moment."  
"Would you like to tell me about it?"  
"No, I fucking would not." He spat out.

Confused about this chastisement, he watched Adam point at the three pictures on the screen. "These are our recently deceased. Below each of these is the details of friends and family, already interviewed. The bodies have no signs of how they died or how they ended up where they were found. All access doors were locked." He paused for a moment. "All took place within a thirty-minute walk from here." Tony stood up and joined him at the display.  
"The First, Sarah Mitchell, 27, no priors, came from Bedford, and as far as we can tell, has never been to London. Found dead in a locked flat in Soho Square around five weeks ago. The entry card was in her pocket, the doors locked, the flat empty of furniture. According to pathology, she was healthy, fit and no reason for her death is apparent. An important point to notice is that she has never had medical or plastic surgery."  
Tony looked at Adam as he spoke about the case, his demeanour had changed, becoming more animated, the anger draining away.   
"What makes you think this is not some girl who committed suicide?"  
"She had a job in Bedford, and she was five months pregnant." He looked at Tony. "Last seen by her husband six weeks ago in the family home. Unless she had some unknown psychological problems, there is no reason for suicide."

He touched the huge display and several menus dropped, allowing Adam to bring new information to the screen, much too fast for Tony to follow. A picture appeared on the wall display. "This is an excerpt from a surveillance camera, taken a week after she disappeared. It came to light because as a supposed burglary had been committed nearby." The film started to show a clear colour film taken at night, showing the dead woman wandering down a street. "The woman was found the day after this video was filmed. Now there is no proof she was involved in the burglary, but the burgled building was just out of the picture on the right."  
"Why a supposed burglary?" Tony asked.  
"The building showed signs that someone was sleeping rough in it. So not a burglary, as nothing was stolen."

Tony was staring at Adam's notebook, lying on the desk. He picked it up and handed it to him, which he took without thinking. The display went blank. "Sorry, this is what happens when I pick up something delicate like this, they break," Tony said, handing the phone back, which immediately lit up.  
Adam was smiling at him. "The phone is keyed into me. I'm getting the impression you know little about these." Tony nodded. "If someone else touches it, it switches itself off. If someone other than me, continues to hold it, it will send an alert, the cyber equivalent of a cry for help." He put the tablet down while Tony continued to look at him blankly. "Scotland Yard was attacked a few years ago, you must remember, they hit the building with an EM pulse, wiped out all phone systems and computers within a couple of miles." Adam shook his head as he remembered the details. "The police, fire and ambulance services came to a halt that day and for several days afterwards. The whole city was in anarchy, the traffic management system went down, which was less of a problem as every car for miles had also stopped working."  
"I don't remember that."  
"Really, it was world news for weeks." Adam frowned as he looked at him. "Anyway, since then all our computers and communication devices have been hardened against electromagnetic interference. Also, the level of technology we were using was brought right up to date."  
Tony could remember the anger from his father whenever he picked up his phone as a child, watching the screen go fuzzy then black as the magic in his body destroyed it.

"I take it you don't have a phone or a notebook?" Adam asked.  
"No. I'd need a course on how to turn one on."  
"You've never used one?" He asked, his voice betraying his amazement.  
"I can barely use a remote control, let alone a computer."  
Adam looked at him in surprise as it was unheard of anyone in today's society not being able to use a computer, everything worked through them, you couldn't live without one.  
"How do you do your job without computers to store information on?" Adam asked.  
"We have our methods."  
"Your department at the Ministry, must use computers and smartphones?" Tony shook his head. "Seriously?"  
"To my knowledge, there is not one computer, smart or otherwise, in the whole of the Ministry."  
Adam thought about this for a moment. He put this information to one side, for now.

"Anyway, back to young Sarah. This is where the weird bit comes in." He touched the display again, and another picture appeared below the picture of Sarah, this time the face was misshapen and lumpy, the hair was now two different colours and of different lengths.  
"Who's this, another victim? What the hell happened to her?" Tony asked as he moved in for a closer look.  
"This is a picture of Sarah Mitchell, taken when they found out she was pregnant." Pointing at the top picture of a smiling blue-eyed girl, round-faced with mid-length brown hair. "This is a picture of the same girl taken when she was found." This one had green eyes; the hair was multi-coloured and looked as if it had been cut with a knife.   
"Are you sure it's the same girl?"  
"DNA say's yes. It's assumed that it must have been some sort of allergic reaction, but, forensics has drawn a blank." He brushed his hand over the screen and the pictures disappeared. Adam looked intensely at Tony.  
"You're waiting for me to say something, or ask another question?"   
Adam nodded. "She was five months pregnant." He said slowly.   
"Where's the baby?" He asked, his voice rising as he realised the important point he had missed. Adam raised his shoulders. "No idea. She didn't have an abortion, she hasn't given birth, forensics would have picked either up. Her blood work and hormones would suggest she was never pregnant."  
"So, can we assume she was never pregnant in the first place?"  
"No, she had a whole raft of tests over four months her doctor's surgery and at her local hospital. There is no doubt that she was pregnant." Tony kept quiet, his knowledge failing him yet again.  
"Could those lumps on her face be bruises?"  
"Forensic say no." He shrugged and touched the display again and a new picture appeared. "Anyway, number two is Robin Allinson, 30 years old, married with two children. No previous and no apparent reason for suicide, she was found three weeks ago." He pointed to the picture on the screen showing a young woman with short brunette hair and blue eyes.  
"What links the two?" Tony asked as Adam held his hand up before bringing yet another picture to the display. This second picture was also of Robin, but again the face appeared lumpy and misshapen, the hair colour a blond brunette mix and her eyes were now green.  
"This is the most recent picture of Robin Allinson we have. It came from her husband."  
"I assume DNA proves who she is?" He asked.  
"Her parents and husband are having the body re-autopsied as they do not believe it is who we say it is. Like the first girl, apart from appendix removal and births, she had had no medical work what so ever."  
"I assume that an allergic reaction is suspected?" Tony asked.  
"Allergic reactions do not change eye colour, as far as I know, but both now have green eyes."  
"Can't you change your eye colour?"  
"Yes, it's a simple laser procedure, but, it's a licenced procedure that has to be registered, plus the treatment leaves markers behind that an autopsy can pick up."  
"I assume nothing was found?"  
Adam nodded as he made the picture disappear replacing it with girl number three.

"The third woman, found last week." He pointed to the picture; this one was tallish, slim and had fuzzy long blond hair and green eyes. There was no sign of any misshapen features or lumps. "No identification whatsoever." He looked at Tony and raised his arms. "Usually, we use medical or dental history to find out who someone is. Not even DNA identification has helped. This woman is an enigma; she has never had surgery or dental work. We don't even know what country she's from." He shook his head in frustration. "We tried putting her picture out worldwide and so far nothing, we even checked missing person's records for most of Europe, again, nothing."  
"When are you going to tell me the link, apart from green eyes?" Asked Tony, unhappy being kept in the dark, but he realised that this was what he was doing to Adam, so he decided to live with it, for now.  
"They were all found in the same apartment in Soho Square, sitting up, legs out in front of them, and backs against a wall. We're sure they staged the scenes."  
"That's why you think it's a serial killer?"  
"There's no evidence they were actually murdered, but because of the similarities and background information, we have no choice but to investigate." He swiped at the display which removed all the pictures. A couple of deft movements produced another picture, this time a male. "Now we have a fourth, one Marc Ewan, same MO, but this time in a locked room in a flat in North Wales."  
"MO?" Tony asked, looking at Adam with a confused expression.  
"Modus operando, Latin for method of operation." Adam was puzzled why he did not know this common abbreviation, but again, he let it pass, for now, storing it for future reference. Adam was about to continue when he realised Tony was staring at him.

"Are you going to tell me that Marc Ewan was a green-eyed woman?" Tony asked, making Adam laugh.  
Adam sat down on the edge of the desk. "I am at a loss as to what to do next. Something is going on, but I have no idea what."  
"Why is this Ewan's death included?" Tony asked after a moment.  
"The police AI has decided that there are too many similarities between them, so it lumps together them. The police do not have the staff to run too many lines of enquiry, so the AI pulls similar crimes together. It's a system that has proven itself many times over."  
"AI?" He asked tentatively.  
"Artificial intelligence, very quick, very accurate. It looks at all the parameters and links evidence of multiple crimes, much faster than a human. If she says they are too similar to ignore, we do not ignore them."  
"This AI sounds kind of scary," Tony asked, looking around the room.  
"She is scary, whatever you do, don't get into an argument with her, you will lose." He emphasised the word 'will.'  
"You can talk to it?" Tony looked shocked.  
"Don't call her or him it, give her a name you're happy with, she'll respond if she thinks it's necessary."  
Tony looked around the room, a deep frown on his face. "Can she hear us?"  
"Oh yes, she's listening," Adam added.

Tony sat down and took a deep breath, realising that not only was everything being recorded, they were also being watched by some strange entity. He decided to bite the bullet. "We have two murders."  
"What?" Adam Exploded.  
"I told you in the cafe, you were not going to be very happy, now you know why I'm here."  
"How come we know nothing about these murders?" Adam was angry at this news.  
"The first happened on the Norway-Swedish border. The other," He took a deep breath, "happened in our most secret establishment here in London."  
"The murder abroad, I can understand, it's out of our jurisdiction, but another murder here in London."  
"What goes on in the ministry is outside of police jurisdiction."  
"Bollocks."  
"No." Tony looked up and shook his head. "The Ministry has absolute authority over all matters in this area."  
"Then we should have gone up the tree to a higher authority."  
"Believe me, there is no higher authority."  
Adam looked at Tony, anger etched across his face. "The PM."  
"I am led to believe the PM does as he's told by the Ministry." The look on Tony's face told Adam all he needed to know.  
"You are a fucking spy." He spat angrily.  
Tony shook his head, wanting to explain the reasons. "Did the murdered people have any personal effects on them when they were found?" Tony asked, changing the subject, not missed by Adam.  
"We don't know they have been murdered yet, and there was nothing of any real importance on them." It was clear that the anger in Adam's voice, that he was not going to let the subject of authority go, but for the time being, he would wait.  
"The unknown woman, did she have anything strange on her?"  
"I wouldn't say strange." He looked down. "The only item that was found is in evidence lock up."

A strange gong sound came from all around them as the door opened itself. A small powered trolley entered the room, rolled up to the desk next to them, and stopped. "I think that is for you. You've already said you don't have a phone; the AI will have listened to our conversation and provided the necessary equipment. Get it open and start sorting it out, I'll contact evidence lock up and get this unusual item sent up." Said Adam leaving the room. Tony placed his hand on the box, ready to lift it up to the table when it sprang open.  
"Handprint identification found, contents for Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Garrett." A voice came from the box. He backed up across the room in shock; the vaping stick he kept up his sleeve, hiding his wand, was in his hand. He took a deep breath, realising that he now knew what DCI meant. Mentally, he chastised himself, he should be used to inanimate objects talking and moving. 

He went back over to the box, using the vaping stick, he reached over and lifted the lid open. Inside were three items, the first was a flat piece of clear plastic, a notebook, like Adams. Beside it was a small flesh coloured lump and an equally small disc with a clip on the back, which Tony guessed wrongly, was an earring. He picked all three items up, then dropped them in surprise as the notebook lit up and spoke, at the same time as the little trolley moved away, its contents now delivered.  
"Welcome to your digital notebook, please supply retinal and voice identification." He slipped his vaping tube back up his right sleeve before reaching down and picking the items back up, cradling them in one hand. The words 'Not Enabled' sat in the middle of the small screen.

Adam came back in, stepping over the trolley that was backing out of the room. "Notebook not set up." He said looking at the items in Tony's hand. He shook his head.  
"How does it know who I am?" He asked.  
"Voice recognised as Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Garrett, please supply retinal identification." Tony had almost dropped the items again.  
"You really have never used technology before, have you?" He said while shaking his head. "Hold the phone up in front of your face, you'll see a bright light for a moment, don't be surprised this time."

Tony did as he asked, the whole screen flashed with a bright light for a moment. "Retinal print obtained, Welcome to your Digital notebook Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Garrett." Tony looked down and saw that the display had changed to a Scotland Yard logo, rotating, with his name and rank under it.  
"How does it know who I am?" He asked again.  
"The information must have been supplied by your Ministry fellows." He accented the word Ministry as he sat down on the edge of the desk. "Unless, of course, you believe in magic." He grinned at Tony, who looked back completely dumbstruck. "Put the lumpy bit," he pointed at the flesh coloured lump, "in your ear." Tony looked at him, disbelief written all over his face. "It's the earpiece for your phone. Pointy end first, just push until it tells you to stop."

He did as he was asked, feeling stupid as the cold plastic slid into his ear. He gave it a harder push then jumped as a voice in his ear told him the Bluetooth earpiece was now working.  
Adam saw him jump and pointed at the earring. "Now attach the camera to your jacket lapel." Tony did as he asked. He noticed Adam smile when he got it right. "Right now tell the phone you're active on case 118,429."  
"What does that do?" Tony asked, holding the notebook out in front of him.  
"It puts your notebook into record mode."  
"Is this really necessary?" He said, turning the tablet around in his hand.  
"If we end up in court, the information these notebooks keep will be used by the prosecution and the defence. They will watch and listen to everything said and done during the investigation. Also, those same records can protect or hang the officer."

"I have a question?" Said Tony after a few moments thought, Adam nodded and waited. "Some things we may see are of a sensitive nature to the Ministry." Adam nodded more slowly this time. "They will not want some of this information, places, or people's interviews being recorded."  
It was Adams turn to think. "Any effort made to interfere with the recording on an active case is called tampering with the evidence. In a worst-case scenario, a custodial sentence could be given." Adam waited for this to sink in. "What argument can you possibly have that could allow me to request we are not recorded?"

He thought for a moment. "At the moment, I do not have a reason I can explain, but I'll talk to someone at the Ministry for guidance." He said with finality.  
"Good. In the meantime, we record as per the law, until someone tells me otherwise." Adam smiled hoping they had reached an agreement. "Also, I will have a word with the Super, and see what he thinks."

Adam talked him through the procedure and Tony heard the voice in his ear telling him that he was now active. Tony put the notebook in his jacket pocket just as the gong sounded again. The door opened allowing another powered trolley to enter the room of its own accord. It rolled up to Adam and stopped. He touched a small glowing square on the top, which triggered the trolleys rear box to open. He took a package from inside, the doors closed again. Tony watched it silently reverse across the room, the door opening, then closing behind it.

Adam held the package out to Tony, which he took, eyeing it suspiciously. Inside was a long smooth piece of wood, one end carved into a handle, smoothed, and painted, the other end tapered to a tip and equally smooth.  
"You know what that stick is, don't you?" It was a statement, not a question.  
"One like this was found at one of our murder sites. It was made of an unusual wood, not usually found in the UK." Tony hoped the little white lie would pass unnoticed. "It didn't tell us anything, but it was unusual, so if you don't mind, I'll get it tested at the Ministry." He slipped the stick into his pocket. "It probably means nothing, but at this stage, I'm happy to clutch at any straw."  
Adam's eyebrows went up. "You almost sound like a real policeman." Tony looked at him, wondering if he was joking with him. "Anyway, I thought there should be two. I assumed that it was half of a posh chopstick. More importantly, the AI will have seen you place the object in your pocket. It will expect it to be returned within a reasonable period." He nodded back; annoyed that he would have to return the wand. 

"If we go next door into the Evob, we can see the forensic scans of the murder sites." He saw the look of confusion on Tony's face for a moment. "The Evob is the evidence observation room." He stood up and walked towards the display wall, with Tony in tow, not understanding a word he was saying. 

He pushed on the display wall and a door opened. Inside was an empty room, no windows, no furniture. The walls, ceiling, and floor were all a uniform light grey. Adam closed the door, cutting out any light, before speaking to the room in the darkness. "Room, display main case crime scene zero zero one." The walls, ceiling, and floor glowed, becoming brighter as a room appeared around them.

He found himself in a large room, the walls a similar uniform grey colour, like this room before Adam switched it on.  
"As you can see, the display walls are all switched off. Room, add the body of Sarah Mitchell." Adam said. A figure of a late twenty-something woman appeared, dressed in jeans and a flannel checked shirt and boots, slumped against the wall next to the fireplace. Tony walked around, amazed at how he could see the figure from any angle in fine detail.   
"This is the interesting bit," Adam spoke, making Tony jump. "Room, overlay body of Robin Allinson." The form of another woman, like the first, appeared in the room, beside the first body. She also wore jeans, but with a black T-shirt and pumps. Same sitting position, head lolled to the same side. Tony moved in again noticing that both of them had the same lumpy appearance on their face. A certain amount of trepidation was creeping into his mind, as he thought he might know what had caused this strange appearance, although he seriously hoped he was wrong.  
"Are you saying that whoever placed the first body, knew where to place the second body?" Adam smiled for a moment.  
"Room, overlay third unknown female body."  
The third body appeared, next to the second body. Unlike the first two, her dress was strange, almost Victorian in look, long skirt, a flowery blouse, none of which matched. She had a strange black felt hat perched on her head. "Does that answer your question?" Adam asked as they looked at the three bodies in a row.  
"Has to be the same person to know where the other bodies were," Tony said after a moment.  
"It could be a coincidence, but I doubt it. The chopstick you have in your pocket came from the witchy looking one." Adam said as he walked around the room. Tony's head flicked around to look at him, not sure what to say.  
"Witchy?" He asked, not really wanting an answer.  
Adam stopped and pointed at the female. "I can't think of what to call her clothing style, gipsy, bohemian." Tony nodded before turning away, to inspect the three bodies. He reached out after a moment to touch the clothing of the woman and almost yelped when his hand passed through her.  
"Takes some getting used to," Adam said, squatting down beside him. "I spent an hour in here before I came to meet you. None of this makes any sense. If the bodies were arranged for a reason or a threat, I can't work it out."  
"Unless the message was meant for someone else, who would understand?" Tony replied, standing up, with Adam following.  
"I think we can take that as a given. I assume you know what the message is?" He turned towards Tony as he spoke.  
"No."   
"Room, display off." The room plunged into darkness until he opened the door to the office. 

They both stopped in front of the big display.  
Adam picked up his tablet and interrogated it for a moment. "One other thing, the last one probably came from money." Tony stopped and looked back at him.  
"How do you work that out?"  
"The first two had standard high street clothes on. The third's clothing was high-quality materials and handmade, even though they look a little strange, this is something that is quite rare these days. The fabrics were all natural as well."  
"Does that help?" Tony asked.  
"No, though it might make identification easier. The information on her clothing is in the AI database, so if a link to someone who makes high-quality clothing is made, we'll soon know." This information went straight over Tony's head, but he decided not to ask any more questions.  
"This is all we have at the moment, so we might as well call it a day and start fresh in the morning when we should have the files from Wales and forensics."  
"This isn't much."  
"No, but forensics have details on the contents of their stomachs, which is apparently a cause for concern."  
"Sounds good to me. I'll go into our office on the way home, and see if I can bring the evidence we have, over here in the morning." Adam nodded and waved his hand at the huge display, which went blank.

"Before we go," Tony said, sitting down on the edge of the desk again, "I assume you made some phone calls when you went to get this." He waved the stick in the air. A big grin appeared on Adams' face.  
"Of course I did. I was told not to ask, as I wouldn't like the answer, that's if an answer could be found." Tony waited for him to continue. "I don't like this situation. I feel very much the outsider when in reality I shouldn't be."  
"I agree entirely," replied Tony, surprising Adam, "my hands are currently tied. If I get the chance to bring you in fully, I will not hesitate. However, full disclosure could put you in grave danger."  
"What the hell are you mixed up in?"  
"If I told you, you would not believe me."  
"Try me," Adam said, leaning forwards and staring straight at Tony.  
"No." He said emphatically.  
"You do realise that I will continue to ask these questions tomorrow."  
"I know." He tried not to smile but failed.


	4. The Goblin, the Wandmaker, and the Veela.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A walk down the Charring Cross Road causes Tony some problems.

They walked down the Charring Cross Road together, both deep in thought, until a very small man appeared from a side street. He had a long grey face and was wrapped up against the cold, in what looked like a cape, even though it was over twenty degrees. Next to him was another man, only this one was shy of their height, stranger still, the taller man was dressed exactly like Tony, all in black.

"Good grief, I know them," Tony exclaimed speeding up.  
"Who, the dwarf?" Adam asked keeping up. Tony stopped in his tracks and looked at him. Adam realised that he had overstepped an unknown mark. Tony shook his head after a moment before turning away towards the small man.

"Professor Goranuk." He called a moment later. "Professor Goranuk." He shouted this time. The two men stopped and turned towards Tony.  
"Young Garrett, what are you doing here?" He reached up as Tony leant down and shook hands.  
"All right, Monty?" Tony called to the other man, who did not reply, moving off to one side, trying to avoid any conversation. Tony looked down.  
"Professor, you're a long way from Durmstrang?" He asked as Adam stopped beside him, his eyes not leaving the second man, who had moved away, trying to blend into the background.  
"Job interview, in the Leaky Cauldron would you believe." His arms and voice rose in pitch as he spoke.  
"That's an odd place for an interview. What job would that be, barman?"  
"Very funny Garrett." He laughed. "Don't forget the annual get together. You were missed last year."  
"My mother requested, no, demanded my presence at last year's festivities. Hopefully, this year I should be able to get away for a while."  
"Of course, your parents are Muggles."

A cough came from beside him and he turned towards Adam. "Professor, this is DCI Adam Croft. He's a policeman."  
The professor reached up, Adam had to reach down a long way to the outstretched hand. He took in the grey skin tone, deep-set eyes, and huge hands, which engulfed his own. The small man's grip was much firmer than he expected and strangely warm for someone, Adam thought, was a sickly looking individual.  
"Adam this is Professor Goranuk. For two years at school, he taught me a great deal."  
"Nice to meet you, Professor, what are you a professor of?" Tony's mind slipped into overdrive when he realised what was about to happen. How was he going to explain what a potions professor taught? The professor was way ahead of him.  
"Chemistry," Goranuk said with a quick glance at Tony. "What would Anthony Garrett be doing with a policeman, I wonder?" He asked looking at them both.  
"We're working together on a case," Said Adam, noticing how he had changed the subject when he was asked a question.  
"Really," he said looking at Tony, "that is most unusual."  
"We are living in unusual times Professor, needs must."  
A cloud seemed to pass over the little man's face. "Last time I heard that comment, was about fifty years ago, just before I started teaching. It didn't bode well for anyone." The professor stepped back, a coldness in him that was not apparent to Adam when they first spoke. "I'm going to be late. Expect my owl young Garrett."  
"I will Professor, goodbye."  
Tony turned to the other man expecting him to say something, but he turned away and walked up the street with Goranuk hurrying to catch up. Adam was about to move on, but Tony was frowning, looking at the floor.

"Something wrong?" He asked.  
"Very much so." He replied to himself.  
"Care to elaborate?"  
"Not at the moment. I need to make a few enquiries first."  
"Muggle?"  
Tony thought for a moment. "Silly word to describe someone not belonging to the school."  
"Owl?" He asked, looking straight at Tony.  
"Another old-school thing, it means a letter." He said walking along the street.  
"Letter, no one uses letters anymore," Adam said following Tony, before looking up the alleyway, that the men had walked up. He stopped in his tracks. "Where the fuck did they go?" He exclaimed as he looked up the empty alleyway, no doors, and the far end blocked by stout tall iron railings. Tony looked down the empty alleyway, shrugged, then carried on walking.  
"Are you not the least bit surprised they disappeared?" Adam asked.  
"No," Tony said as he continued to walk down the street, leaving Adam open-mouthed.

About ten yards further on, he realised he was alone; Adam was still looking down the alleyway. Tony realised that someone disappearing into an alleyway with no exits was not normal for Muggles, something he should have remembered. He brazened it out and kept walking, not knowing what else to do. In his mind, he breathed a sigh of relief when Adam caught up with him. He hoped he had gotten away with it, reminding himself not to make such stupid mistakes again.  
"Why was the other guy wearing clothes identical to yours?" Adam moved in front of Tony, stopping him from walking any further forward.  
"I don't know what you're talking about," Tony replied immediately realising his mistake, as he was used to people dressing like himself.  
"The other person was wearing identical clothes to you, even down to the lace-up shoes. No one wears lace up's anymore." Anger was starting to re-enter Adams' voice.  
"I didn't notice."  
"That is a uniform." He pointed at him. "You are lying just like your little friend was."  
"What?"  
"When he said Chemistry, he glanced at you, as if he was hiding something, and you knew what it was." Adam waited for an answer from Tony, which he did not get, so he pressed the point further. "Also, that bit about a job interview was probably a lie as well."  
"I agree with you about that. No one has interviews in the Leaky Cauldron." Tony was floundering; he had nothing to come back with.  
"And what the fuck is a leaky cauldron?"  
"It's a hotel and pub on the Charring Cross Road," Tony said, trying to change the subject to something he could cope with. He felt his heart sink as he saw the look on Adam's face change, he had made another mistake.  
"I know the Charring Cross Road and there is no pub or hotel called the Leaky Cauldron."

Adam turned away and strode along the footpath, not waiting for Tony, his hunched shoulders showing he was angrier than when they first met. They walked on in silence, both lost in thought, which suited Tony.

 

He left Adam outside a bland, but neat block of flats, without too many comments or questions from him. Adam had pointed at his clothing, told him he was a plain-clothed detective and that he should not turn up in a uniform tomorrow. They parted company amicably, but there was a coldness in Adam's voice, that did not bode well for the following day, he thought.

He headed off down the street looking down each side road. Finding what he wanted, a deserted alleyway, with no lights and he hoped, no cameras. After seeing the CCTV footage earlier, and the problem with Goranuk in the alley, he felt a little paranoia was in order. He moved down the alley looking around for a moment before a loud crack rattled off the bare walls.

A moment later he was standing in the centre of Diagon Alley. He wandered along the quiet street until he came to the second to last building, a large handmade elegant sign proclaimed, Pinne Byquist, maker of fine Scandinavian wands. The shop was dark; a small light in the rear highlighted a huge blond man bent over a small foot-operated lathe, turning a new wand.

Tony opened the door to the shop, heralded by the tinkling of a small bell. As he stepped inside, the wand maker, Pinne, stood up and came from behind the counter. Pinne was the nearest thing to a real Viking Tony had ever met, seven foot two and weighing close to three hundred pounds, none of it looked like fat.  
"Anthony Garrett." His thick booming accent sounding strange, especially in the closed confines of the small shop. "What can I do for you, new wand, perhaps?" He said as he walked across the small room, his head brushing the ceiling.  
"My wand is fine, thanks. I have a request?" He looked up at the man mountain in front of him.  
"Official?"  
"Yes, can you take a look at this wand?" He pulled the wand out of his pocket and handed it to Pinne.  
"I made this." He said as he took the wand. "Hazel, Unicorn hair, 10 inches, flexible. Was owned by Argonia Huxley, but the wand thinks differently now."  
"In what way?  
"The wand is ownerless, which would tell me that the owner is probably deceased." Pinne's hand went inside his shirt and pulled out a long, carved wand that looked tiny in his huge hands, but would have been stupidly long and thick in Tony's. He held it lightly in his hand and whispered a couple of words. Tony caught what he was saying. Prior Incantato. Images appeared from the end of the wand, too quick for Tony to see.

"Right, I've gone back as far as I reliably can. The last ten spells used were, Lumos, Crucio twice, Accio, three times. I don't know what they were trying to find. Episkey, twice and Lumos again." A cloud seemed to pass over Pinne's face as he stared at Tony. "The last spell this wand cast was the Avada Kedarva curse." He waved his own wand at some parchment on the counter and a face appeared on it. "This is the person that the curse was aimed at. It did not miss."  
Pinne waved his wand at another piece of parchment and another picture appeared on a separate piece. "This is who the Crucio curse was aimed at."  
Tony picked up the pictures and found dead girl number one, Sarah Mitchell and dead man number one, Marc Ewan, looking back at him. He held his hand out for the wand. Now he knew Argonia Huxley, whoever she was, had killed Marc Ewan and had attacked one of the dead girls.  
"Don't hold this wand for too long, it no longer has an owner and it might choose you." Pinne said holding the wand out in front of him. "Especially if someone's wand is sealed inside a metal tube."  
"You know why I keep my wand hidden, and anyway, you can't have two, can you?"  
"The wand chooses the wizard, Mr Garrett." His voice booming, "It does not care if you have one wand or ten."

Tony thought about this for a moment. "You might save me a journey; do you have a picture of Argonia Huxley?" Pinne smiled. Using his wand, he made another picture. Tony picked it up and looked at the face of dead girl number three. He shook his head. "Is this definitely Argonia Huxley?" He asked, holding all three pictures up in front of him. Pinne nodded and frowned at the same time.  
"You have a puzzle, Mr Garrett."  
"There is another wand inside the ministry I would like you to look at."  
"Already seen it, I had an owl from the Ministry two days ago. The wand was an old wand, made by my predecessor, Olivander. That means I am unable to interrogate them in quite the same way as I can my own wands. However, the wand was oak, seven and a half inches, dragon heartstring and very flexible, the owner was Ninian Ferhe. Again the wand was ownerless." He paused a moment, to allow this information time to sink in. "The last six spells, starting with the oldest, was Lumos twice, Accio, Homenum Revelio, Petrificus Totalus and Crucio." Again, Pinne flicked his wand at yet another piece of parchment, the face of Argonia Huxley appeared on it.  
"Can you tell me when these spells were used?"  
"The big question." Pinne's voice boomed. "No." His voice now quiet.  
"How about where they were cast?"  
"No, you're the Auror."  
"And you're the wand maker, of course, I'm going to ask." Pinne smiled at him curiously. Tony continued. "I have to assume that they were looking for something, then realised that someone was watching them, used the spell to find them, tied them up and then tortured them."  
"Wand interrogation is not an exact art. These spells could have been minutes, hours, or even days apart."  
"So assume nothing?" Tony replied, frustration in his voice.  
"No, I think you're right, but you could be wrong."  
"That is so not helpful." Said Tony, as a huge smile appeared on Pinne's face.  
"I take it you will require my services again?"  
"If I do, it might mean more murders. Does that mean you will be able to help if required?"  
"Someone has used a wand made by me, to hurt. I do not make wands to hurt people. Yes, any help I can give will be freely given."  
"Thank You, I'd better get going. Thanks for your time." He said putting the pictures and wand back in his pockets.  
"My pleasure, Mr Garratt."

Tony exited the shop and continued back the way he came. An Owl hooted at him from outside of the Owl Emporium. He carried on past Wizarding Weasleys joke shop, shut for the night, and then turned the corner before Gringotts, into Nocturn Alley. He stopped at the second building, knocking twice on the small wooden door, before pushing it open.

The door opened to a small office with modern looking desks, covered with piles of parchment scrolls, all about ready to topple over. A head popped up from behind the nearest pile.

"Tony, how nice to see you." Said a woman similar in age to him. Dark wavy haired and heavy-eyed, she smiled in a predatory way.  
"Edlyn, what are you doing here?" His pulse speeded up. She had been at school with him and he had always fantasised about her, too shy to even talk to her, let alone ask for a date. He was suddenly all of fifteen again, awkward as memories reawakened his desire for her. Then the bad memories came flooding back and Tony had the urge to open the door and run.

"Temporary posting, apparently this office is having problems with parchment build up." She gestured around the room. "And I have to sort it out." She flicked a strange looking wand and a couple of parchments lifted from one pile to another. She stood up and brushed tiny fragments of imaginary paper off her very tight black dress, taking as long as possible, ensuring Tony could get a good look.  
"It's going to take a while by the looks of it?" He said trying not to look at the accentuated curves while she moved around the desk.  
"Ages." She replied, her voice now husky. "It's just so terrible having to go to lunch in Diagon Alley every day, or go shopping in London anytime I want." She smiled at him, her eyes looking straight into his. "I'm about to finish for the day, would you fancy a drink at the Cauldron?"

His breath caught in his throat as his mind walked through scenarios that included Edlyn, then as before, more memories came rushing back, bad memories.  
"I'm sorry, I can't, I'm on a case, with Muggles. I need to use the flu network to get to my temporary home."  
"I thought you were staying at the Cauldron?" Disappointment in her voice.  
"I was removed by the Ministry this morning." Her shoulders dropped, which caused everything else to move.  
"When do you think you'll be free?" She moved and was now standing beside him, her eyes level with his, her breath on his face.  
"Tomorrow, possibly." He said as her hair stroked his cheek. He almost squeaked as he spoke. "Depends on how this case pans out."  
"You'll know where to find me then. I'm here until this time every night, after that, I'll be in my room at the Cauldron, alone." Her eyes seemed to get bigger as they bored into his.

She broke eye contact and moved away. Tony could feel the heat from his face, his pulse racing.  
"I'll see you in the Cauldron when I get the chance." He stuttered.  
"Do that Tony." She said without looking around.

He threw a handful of flu powder into the fire. "12 Grimmauld Place." He said as green fire engulfed him.  
A moment later, he stepped into a neat modern living room. He could feel sweat running down his back, the same feeling he used to get at school whenever he was around Edlyn. He felt like a young stupid kid again, angry with himself, ready to make the same dumb mistakes.

He took a deep breath and looked around himself. A huge television screen dominated the whole of one wall. Comfortable sofas arranged around a small table. A bookcase and framed pictures completed the room. He peered at one picture. The face in the picture turned towards him.

"What you staring at." The figure said angrily, Tony backed away apologising. He walked into a corridor and then into a long narrow kitchen, the centre dominated by a long polished wooden table with matching benches on either side. Modern units and worktops were up against the wall under the window. A large modern range cooker dominated the far end of the room.

Tony looked around, very surprised at how muggled it was; the sort of kitchen his mother would like. He wondered if this was the result of a house-elf. Turning around he found a huge silver double-doored refrigerator. He pulled the doors open and found it stocked with food and drinks. Then he noticed on the bottom shelf was dozens of small bottles, the only clue to the wizarding world. He pulled a couple out and inspected the handwritten labels. Antidotes to poisons labelled blue, poisons black, medicines red and protective potions green. He put them back and closed the door.

Next, he went upstairs and found many rooms, all locked except for one on the third floor. Inside the huge room, he found all his belongings, arranged in the wardrobes, personal items on the small dresser, his chest at the foot of the bed. There was a small toilet with a shower next door.

A hooting noise made him spin round. In a large cage was Freya, his owl. The cage door was open, allowing the owl to slip out and fly to his shoulder, her feathers tickling his neck.

"Seems the ministry has thought of almost everything." He whispered into the owl's ear as he turned back to the door and smiled as he saw that the wall next to the door had a huge wooden board on it. Several pictures pinned to it, with parchment pieces pinned under them. He realised that the pictures were of the two dead wizards. This was the magic equivalent of the electronic display board in Adams office.

A polite cough came from outside the door in the corridor. Tony looked out and found a small grey man waiting. He was dressed in an immaculate white toga, tied in a knot on his shoulder.  
"Are you the house-elf?" He asked.  
"My name is Meninda, and I work for the ministry, looking after this house for people such as yourself." The elf had a very deep voice, considering he looked the size of a five-year-old. "Would the young master require anything to eat?" He asked.  
"A sandwich and a hot drink would be most pleasant," Tony replied.  
"I have been appraised of your requirements by the ministry." He clicked his finger and a steaming drink and a plate topped with a sandwich appeared on the table.  
"Many thanks."  
"Does the young master require anything else?"  
"No thank you Meninda." He snapped out, leaving Tony on his own.

"No, the ministry has thought of everything." He said to the room. Except for how to answer awkward questions, he thought. Freya hooted into this ear, happy to see him.

He took the vaping tube from up his sleeve, opening it and pulling his wand out from inside. He threw the metal bits on the bed before flicking two of the three picture's Pinne had given him at the wall with his wand; they attached themselves to empty spaces.  
Picking up more parchment pieces, stacked under the display board, he waved his wand over them, one at a time. Writing appeared on them, detailing the names and information Pinne had given him. The new parchments also ended up on the board in their correct places.

He now had five names, dates, places of deaths. Also, he knew one Muggle, Marc Ewan had died at the hand of one of the other victims, the witch Argonia Huxley. The same witch had used the Crucio curse on the Muggle Sarah Mitchell. Also, Ninian Ferne had used the Crucio curse on Argonia Huxley. They were all linked in some way. He knew he needed Adam, but how could he help if he didn't have all the information.

Sitting down at the small bureau, he spent half an hour writing out all the information he had on normal paper, with a quill. He was going to add this to Adams information in the morning, making sure he kept any information about his world out of it.

He went to the window and slid the sash up far enough to allow Freya the room to get in and out before going to bed.  
Sleep evaded him as different scenarios played through his head. Most were about tomorrow, and some involved Edlyn, and in every case, he dropped himself in it or made a fool of himself.


	5. Scotland Yard

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A lockdown at the yard causes Tony problems. Details of another murder

The following morning, Meninda had woken him early, advising him that breakfast would be ready when he arrived in the kitchen. He wore his usual clothing of T-shirt, trousers and trainers. His black suit consigned to the closet.

After breakfast, he used the floo network to get to a quiet Diagon Alley. From there, he walked to Scotland Yard, enjoying the half-hour walk, much better than catching the tube. The main doors at Scotland Yard opened for him as he arrived. He assumed that his notebook did the opening, not realising the AI had been watching his movements for some time. Inside he stopped at the door to the station and found the smiling desk sergeant staring at him from the display. A friendly face, he thought, as he held his card up to the screen.

"DCI Garrett, I'm not being rude, but how the hell did you get a rank that high, you're just out of school." He said from the display.  
"I'm not just out of school, I look young, I have good genes, and the rank is honorary while I'm liaising with the police."  
The sergeant smiled and nodded. "Would you object to me giving you a little advice?" He asked from the screen. Tony nodded, not understanding where this was going. "When you meet DCI Croft, be prepared to duck."  
"Why?" His confusion deepening.  
"Scotland Yard went into lock-down for about ten minutes this morning, for only the second time in seven years. Apparently, he did something that caused it. No idea what it was, but he'll be in a foul mood and when he is in a foul mood, people around him, tend to suffer." He smiled. "Have a nice day." Tony held his card towards the camera and the door buzzed, signalling it was open. He smiled back as he headed into the building, with apprehension building in his stomach.

The door opened for him. He found Adam sitting on a chair with his feet up on the table, staring at the electronic board, deep in thought. He dropped into the chair next to him.  
"You're early, I didn't expect to see you until at least eight." He looked at Tony's choice of clothing and nodded. He was expecting him to be angry, but he didn't seem to be.  
"London is nice early in the morning and I enjoyed the walk. I always thought London was very much busier though."  
"London is nowhere near as crowded as it once was. Most people work from home or spend their time in virtual realities."

Tony waited for Adam to continue, but he seemed to slump into introspection. "I have two questions?" Adam looked over and nodded for him to continue. "First, what do you mean by people being in virtual realities?"  
Adam laughed for a moment. "I find it hard to believe your knowledge of technology is so lacking."  
"Until now, I never needed to know."  
Adam shook his head in bemusement. "Most people work and play in virtual computer-generated worlds. The Evob is a virtual reality of sorts. What the hell did you do as a kid?"  
"I went to school." He replied confused.  
Adam looked at him. "I assume this is the private school you went to?" Tony nodded back.  
"They use haptic gloves," he continued, "and headsets, and sometimes complete bodysuits, that put them in the world of their choosing."  
"What's wrong with this world?" He asked even more confused than before, realising he knew nothing of this world, one he was supposed to be comfortable with.

Adam shook his head. "Virtual reality is addictive, I know, having tried it. It has made the police officer's life a lot easier, most streets are almost empty. Real crime is down. Drug offences are down. House burglary is almost unheard of, you can't steal something that knows it's being stolen and will tell everyone where it is." He leant back a little further. "However Cyber-crime is now huge. People will do almost anything to get their fix of virtual reality." Tony looked at Adam and realised he did not understand what he was talking about. "When we get a break, we can drop into a Cyber café and try out the virtual head-wear."  
"I'd rather not, I'm confused enough with this world, I don't need another one. Although, I seem to remember my father mentioning using virtual software from time to time."  
"Fair enough. What was the second question?"

Tony paused, not knowing what to expect. "What does lock-down mean?" He asked waiting for an explosion of some sort.  
Adam did not reply at first, giving Tony the chance to study the huge display board, which now included all the information they had.  
"There is no apparent connection between these people," Adam continued. "Apart from the three women found in the locked room in the same London flat." He said after a while. "No cause of death, no marks, no access to the room from outside. I would normally assume, that these were all suicides if they were in separate places, but in the same room, no." He looked at Tony. "What are you going to tell me about this?" He asked.

Tony realised that he would not get an answer to his question, just yet. "Elfrida Hedgecock, female, found in a ministry broom closet where she worked. The closet locked, and the key was in her pocket." He wanted to explain further about keys, but refrained.  
"Cause of death?"  
"No Idea on any of them," Tony said, shrugging, knowing he had just lied yet again. "Number two is Ninian Ferhe, male, found in a locked room in a village called Lykkeligdal. He rented a room at the local inn. The innkeeper found him in the morning, again another locked room."  
"Where's that village?"  
"It's on the Swedish and Norwegian border."  
"Why are we interested in a murder from another country?"  
"Ninian Ferhe was one of ours."  
"What does 'one of ours' mean?"  
"None of your business."  
"Murder is my business, and it is currently my job, as it is yours," Adam said, Tony could hear the concealed anger in his voice.  
"Let's say they work for the ministry and leave it at that."  
"As you wish." He said.

An uneasy silence descended on the room as a message appeared on the display, saying that Ninian Ferhe and Elfrida Hedgecock were 'Persons Unknown'.  
"One more thing." Adam waited. "The unknown dead woman was one of ours, her name is Argonia Huxley."  
Adam said nothing, picked up his Notebook and tapped on the display before setting it down on the table. A few seconds later, the notebook beeped and 'Person Unknown' appeared on the wall display.  
"None of these people are on any databases. Any idea why?" Tony shook his head. "Are they spooks?"  
"They are now," Tony said, confused at the question.  
Adam gave Tony a strange look. "No, are they spies, because that could be the only reason they are not in any database."  
Tony shook his head, realising by the look on Adams' face he had slipped up again.  
"So these people aren't spies?" He asked staring at Tony, who nodded again. Adam continued to stare for a moment before slipping his feet off the desk and standing.

"It's very hard to work with someone who won't tell you what they know." Adam touched his notebook again and a new picture appeared on the display. "Want to try explaining that." This one showed a railway platform with four people moving as a group. In the lead was a young Tony pushing a full luggage cart.

"You had a normal life until just after your eleventh birthday." Tony could think of nothing to say even though Adam was not giving him time to think let alone talk. "You disappeared. Let me guess, your mother, and father." He touched the display on either person. "I assume this is your sister?" He touched the picture of a teenage girl at the rear looking like any other teenage girl, full of attitude.  
"If I get the chance, I will explain. I promise." He said trying to stop this going any further.  
"I haven't finished."  
"I have, that was the last time my sister, and I ever spoke properly." Anger tinged his voice.  
"Why is that, she is alive and well with her husband and five-year-old daughter?"  
Tony stood up. "A Daughter who I have never met."

Adam spotted the anger in his voice. "I can find almost identical images, minus your sister, four times a year. They show you leaving and arriving. You did not leave the country, passport control confirms this. You have never bought a train ticket, neither have your parents, records confirm this." Tony's mind was running at full steam trying to think up a sensible reason for the pictures, but he had none. "You don't have a credit card, a driving licence or a bank account."  
Adam stepped back, giving Tony a strange look before he sat back down. "Are you going to explain any of this, because I have dredged up so much information on you, and none of it makes any sense?"  
"Where did you get this from?" Surprise finally gave way to resignation as he sat down. "I'm not under investigation."  
"No, you're not, but I need to know who I am working with, can I trust them, do they have the skills to do the job." He turned to face Tony. "Currently, you are mister fucking nobody. You have no idea how close you were to being arrested when you walked into the building this morning."  
"Why would I be arrested, I've not broken any laws?" He exclaimed in shock.  
"I agree, you haven't, but when I asked for a background check on you because you were so forthcoming yesterday, the AI that runs the police computer, almost had an electronic heart attack."  
"I don't understand?"  
"You have a made-up background, one that is so transparently thin, that it would, under normal circumstances, be dismissed out of hand. According to the records supplied by your Ministry, you leave the country regularly, but you don't even have a current passport. The AI looked at the information it had found and decided you were a terrorist of some sort, and you had been given access right inside the heart of the place it is supposed to protect."  
"Can I assume this caused this lock-down?" Adam's head nodded. "What happens now?" He asked, wondering where this was going, as all the things he had shown him were correct, but he could not explain any of it.  
"Nothing happens; luckily you have a free pass from your Ministry. A lot of phone calls were made this morning, by me, my Super, and the Commissioner, and I suspect a lot of other people." A grin appeared on Adam's face. "It's good for the whole station to get a little jumpy from time to time, and they did this morning." Adam waited, giving Tony time to answer. He waited for what he thought was enough time. "I assume no explanations are forthcoming?"  
"I cannot tell you at the moment. If I am given permission to tell you, I will do so without hesitation." Adam nodded, letting it go for now.  
"How come you've never met your sister's baby?"  
"She lives in Copenhagen and I've sort of been out of contact. I haven't seen my parents since Christmas," Tony answered happy now he was on a subject he could talk about.  
"Do you need time to see her?"  
"Good grief no," He replied, noting the incredulous look on Adams' face, he continued. "My sister would not appreciate me turning up unannounced. It's better I keep away for now."

They both sat back down, the uneasy silence continued, while they stared at the board. "What do our victims have in common?" Adam asked, more to himself than Tony. "Apart from looking like suicides on their own. We need to look at the evidence a little more closely."  
"Can we look at the crime scene we saw yesterday?" Tony asked, wanting to use his own methods of investigation.  
"No. As soon as the forensic scans are complete, the crime scene is cleared and handed back to the owner. I expect someone has already moved in."  
Tony mentally swore. "A flat like that must cost a lot to rent." He asked.  
"Around three hundred thousand a year, plus ancillaries, whatever the hell they are." He'd checked this by himself as he spoke without looking at his tablet.  
"Could any of our dead people afford those prices?"   
Adam thought for a moment. "Not the first two women."  
"I'm pretty sure Huxley couldn't either. Who was paying for the flat then?"  
Adam looked at Tony for a moment before reaching over and picking his notebook up again. He spoke into it for a moment before dropping it back on the table as a new message appeared.

"Seems our flat was rented by an unknown Ministry department." He looked at Tony. "I wonder which one that is."  
Tony said nothing in return, starting to feel sick. "I meant to ask the ministry about this recording business, when I do, I'll see if they know about this flat."  
"Good point. Ring from here." He pointed at the huge display. "I'm going upstairs to have a word with the commissioner and hopefully calm him down." He got up and left almost immediately before Tony had a chance to speak.

He stood up and looked at the huge display before pulling the notebook from his pocket. He held it up in front of him.  
"How the hell do I call the ministry?" He asked himself aloud.  
"Calling Ministry." A female voice said from his phone. He swore to himself as he realised the phone could hear his every word. It was ringing someone at some Ministry he knew nothing about. He tapped the screen trying to elicit a response from it.

The strange warbling noise coming from the display in front of him went quiet. He stopped panicking thinking he had turned the phone off, somehow.  
"Good morning, Mr Garrett. I'm Botilda, your Ministry liaison. How can I help?" Tony attempted to freeze and jump at the same time as a woman's face, in black and white, larger than life, appeared on the display. She was smiling at him from the centre of a halo of frizzy hair.  
Tony's mind had just about given up and gone out for lunch at this point. "You know who I am?" He asked.  
"Of course I do, I'm your caseworker. Is anything the matter, Mr Garrett?"  
Tony's mind was still refusing to help. "What branch of the Ministry do you work for?" He asked, unable to think of anything clever without giving himself away, again.  
"Mr Garrett, I am aware of your case and some problems you could be facing." She replied.  
"Muggles." He said aloud, hoping this would produce a response, which he hoped would help somehow.  
"Are they causing you trouble, Mr Garrett?" Tony felt his whole body relax.  
"Ministry of Magic." He relaxed as he remembered where he knew this woman from. She appeared at the end of every school year. For the life of him, he couldn't remember why.  
"Of course." She replied, doubt now in her voice.  
"I have a problem with muggle police procedure."  
"Really," she said sounding altogether far too excited, "please explain?" She leant forwards, making her head bulge towards him.  
"Muggle police carry monitoring and recording equipment with them at all times." He waved his notebook at her image, "As I am working with them on a Muggle murder case, I have to wear the same recording equipment."  
"Refuse."  
"I can't, its Muggle law."  
"Perhaps you can wait and destroy the recording at a later date?" She moved back from the screen.  
"No, all recordings are in real time and saved to the cloud." She looked at him blankly. "It means that the device I'm expected to carry at all times is recording everything. This is sent to a database that the Muggles have access to, and I have no control over."  
"What sort of information are we talking about?"  
"A bit like when you take a memory, only it's constant, and it includes this conversation. Also, I think my location is monitored at all times."  
"The Ministry can't allow that." She said with finality.  
"However," continued Tony, "it's Muggle law that everything is recorded and while I am working with the police, I have to follow Muggle law." He was getting annoyed.  
"What are you going to do?"  
"That's the reason I'm calling you," Tony replied realising she didn't know what to do.  
"I'll have to talk to one of the Ministers."  
"In that case, I will carry on as I am, until you have spoken to a Minister and sorted something out. One more thing, someone at the Ministry is renting a flat in the Soho area of London, I need to know who it is, who's been living there and why?" He did not give her a chance to reply as he touched the display in the same way he watched Adam do. The display blanked out. He sat down and breathed a huge sigh of relief as he realised, he had just made his first phone call, and he had not dropped himself in it, yet, he hoped.

He was still sitting looking at the floor a few minutes later when Adam came back in.  
"Any luck?" He asked, looking at the blank screen.  
"Yes, I got through to the ministry, but they seemed a little confused by this recording business, so they've gone away to think about it."  
Adam dropped into a chair. "The commissioner rang a number he had been given and seemed to get a similar response."  
Tony shrugged. "I've told them I will continue recording until I get an answer."  
"Probably for the best."  
"What was the meeting with the commissioner about?"  
"This morning's lock-down. I explained what I did, and he just laughed." Adam sat down, a frown clouding his face. "Back to the Evob."

 

They stood in an empty room again, the walls covered with pleasant wallpaper. The windows, bare, but dirty on the outside, the white wooden painted floor, brushed clean. Against the far wall was an outline on the floor and up the wall in white tape.  
"This is the room where Marc Ewan was discovered."  
"What's the white stuff?"  
"The outline shows where the body was found." Adam looked at Tony wondering why he wouldn't know this.  
"Weird shape."  
"Room, overlay body of Marc Ewan." Adam pulled out his notebook, the clear plastic display lit up with text scrolling down it. "The body was found in a sitting position, back against the wall." He looked at Tony then at the body before continuing. "Legs straight out in front, fully dressed and hair combed. The clothes and shoes were clean, including the soles." He looked up at Tony again. "No cause of death has been found. Toxicology report states, no drugs or alcohol abuse, he didn't vape, fairly fit. Last meal was probably the day before; fish and potatoes, most likely fish and chips." Adam paused for a moment. "He was twenty-one, not married, lives with his girlfriend and several cats further up the coast, possibly in Anglesea."  
"Looks like he was posed like the others," Tony said from the rear of the room.  
"The three bodies at Soho were positioned after death, this man has not been moved since his death."  
"Why would you clean the bottom of someone's shoes? Did the other three have shoes cleaned this way?"  
"I can have someone check, but, the main reason for cleaning the shoes and clothes are a way of hiding evidence on where they have been, removing mud, seeds and fibres etcetera." This information told Tony that the killer or killers had a better knowledge of Muggle police methods than he did.

Adam went back to the phone. "According to records, the flat had been empty for about three months. No cleaning had been completed since the last people moved out. Mr Ewan signed a rental contract for the flat, three weeks ago. The owner said he didn't know when he actually moved in." He said still reading from the screen.  
"Where does the owner live?" Tony asked.  
"The other side of Conwy, about ten miles away and has an alibi."  
"Does the girlfriend have an alibi?"  
Adam looked around. "Can't find her. We don't know anything about her, not even a name."  
"So we don't know whether he moved in or whether he was alone, or had visitors?"  
Adam smiled. "First, no furniture." He gestured around the empty room. "Second, he had neighbours. A woman was seen coming here the day before he was found. Long flowing dress, many colours, bohemian in style."  
"Bohemian?" He asked.  
"Witchy," Adam replied. "High lace-up boots, a black felt hat with a wide brim which covered her face from above. Apparently, the neighbour in the flat above saw her."  
"Where I come from that style of dress is common," Tony said with resignation.  
"Where do you come from?"  
"London, then switching between Birmingham and Copenhagen, until boarding school. My father moved for work. The demise of the petrol engine made many people move."  
"I know, I was one of them, and you know that wasn't what I meant," Adam said going back to his notebook, catching sight of Tony's smile. "According to the coroner, the time of death coincides with the arrival of this woman." He continued. "At least we know the murderer was a woman."

Tony closed his eyes, knowing Adam could be wrong, but unable to tell him he was, and even worse, unable to explain why.  
"Who found the body?" He asked while Adam continued to stare at his phone.  
"Good question." He interrogated his tablet again. "According to the local police who found the body, they were contacted by the woman who lives in flat twelve, a Mrs Jones, would you believe." Adam looked at him knowingly, Tony nodded back, not understanding what the hell he was talking about. "Her flat is directly above this one. After the Hippy woman arrived, she said she could hear a man and a woman almost screaming at each other, followed by a loud crashing or popping noise, with a bright flash of light."  
"And it was the following day before the police turned up to investigate?" Tony asked, stopping what he was doing and turned to Adam.  
"No. She didn't report the issue until the next morning because she hadn't heard a single noise since. Also, she stated that she never saw the woman leave."  
There were no surprises for Tony in this information. "She said the popping noise was before the bright flash?"  
"What the hell difference does it make?" Adam asked, frowning at Tony.  
"I would expect the popping noise to occur at the same time as the bright flash."  
"No guns were found, and no sign of any shooting taking place. Also, the dead man doesn't have a mark on his body."  
"I'm just running ideas through my head."  
Adam thought about this for a moment and assumed that in this industry that might mean something.  
"Why Copenhagen?" He asked after a moment.  
"What?"  
"Why did you keep going to Copenhagen?"  
"My mother's Danish and my sister lives there, didn't your search bring that up?"  
"I didn't get that far, a number of alarms were going off that needed my attention. Let's go and talk to our voyeur."

They sat down in the crime room again, the display had woken up as they re-entered, while Adam continued to touch the display on his notebook. Tony realised how useful these items were, almost everything needed was carried with them and accessible at any time. They both looked up at the display as a strange warbling sound came from it, different from any other sound Tony had heard.

After the fourth ring, a beep came from the display and the warbling went quiet, a woman's face appeared. Tony thought for a moment that Adam had called the Ministry by mistake.  
"Hello, Mrs Jones?" Adam asked a middle-aged woman, sitting on a comfortable couch in a neat modern living room. She was neatly dressed in Tony's eyes, to Adam's, fussy.  
"Yes." Came the reply. Adam held his warrant card out at her eye level. "My name is Adam Croft, I'm."  
"From the police." She butted in, her welsh accented voice sounded full of restrained resignation. "Are you going to ask me the same questions as all the others?"  
"I'm afraid so," Adam replied kindly.  
"Why don't you ask the others I've talked to? Surely that would save you time?" She asked, keen on this. "Rather than going through it all again."  
"I am sorry," continued Adam, "we have some questions, which may come from a different viewpoint."  
She leant back from the screen. "When are you coming to see me?" She asked with a resigned air.  
"There's no need for us to come and see you, Mrs Jones," Said Adam, causing Tony to look at him. He looked at Tony and gestured for him to continue.  
"My names Tony Garrett." He said after a moment, realising he was again thwarted from using his own methods of investigation.  
"Why do you have long hair?" She asked. Tony stopped and looked at the woman, his mind confused.  
"It's popular where I come from." Was all he could think up.  
"Where's that, you don't look English or Welsh?"  
"Denmark." He replied after a moment, the only thing he could think of. "Can you describe the woman you saw outside, the night before they found the dead man?"  
The woman nodded, happy with his answer for now. "She was dressed strangely. I have to be honest, I used to dress like her when I was younger, only I didn't wear a tall hat." She stopped and looked around her room as if making sure she was alone. "She looked like she was dressed for Halloween, a bit like a witch. Very strange, Halloween isn't for months yet."  
Tony couldn't help himself from smiling at this news, which confirmed his thoughts.  
"How old do you think she was?" Adam asked.  
"Early twenties, very pretty, her hair was long, blond, and very curly."  
"How did you see her face from above?" Asked Adam, realising the error in the report he had read.  
"She looked up at the window for a moment while she was waiting for the door to open." Adam nodded, satisfied at this.  
"You said you heard a popping noise and saw a bright flash?" Tony continued as Adam added the information she was giving to his notebook.  
"No." The frustration she was feeling came across in her voice. "I've told them so many times. I heard a loud pop, at the same time as a flash of light, like green coloured lightning, very bright, it lit my room up. Strange because their flat is below mine, and it was still light out." They let her carry on as she was in her stride now. "Anyway, I heard scuffling sounds for about a minute, then I heard another loud crack like noise, like a branch being broken. I didn't hear another sound after that. Usually, you can hear people walking across the floor, bare floorboards you see." She paused for a moment. "Nobody left that night and the following morning I called the owner and asked him to come over and check."  
"So you called the police after." She stopped Tony from talking.  
"No. I didn't call the police, the owner called the ambulance when he found the man lying on the floor. The police turned up later after the ambulance men found he was dead."

Tony had heard all he needed and turned to Adam.  
"Can you think of anything else you saw or heard, however strange," Adam asked.  
She looked at them both, a certain amount of trepidation in her eyes and took a deep breath.  
"There was a lot of shouting after the woman arrived, and while they were shouting, I heard the woman call the man, a stupid bloody mongrel. I think that's what she said. All the shouting was done as if they were trying not to shout and failing if you know what I mean." Both of them nodded.  
"Did you mention this to the other officers?" Adam asked.  
"Yes and no, the first one I told ignored it, and I didn't mention it after that, I didn't think it was important."  
Adam smiled kindly at the woman. "Now you know why we keep asking the same questions, something always gets missed or is considered unimportant."  
"Is it important?" She asked, excitement entering her voice.  
"I have no idea at the moment, we've only just started." He replied. "Is this the woman you saw by any chance?" Adam did something to his notebook which brought up a photo on the display and on Mrs Jones screen as well.  
"Yes, that's her. She was wearing a cape and a hat when I saw her though. Adam had shown Mrs Jones a picture of Argonia Huxley.  
He continued to ask her some general questions, leaving Tony time to think.

Adam stared at Tony for a moment after the display went dark.  
"What's wrong?" He asked, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze again.  
"You reacted, slightly, to her comment about the mongrel." Tony nodded. "Your little friend on the Charring Cross Road, called your parents something like that, didn't he?"  
Tony realised he had tripped up again. "Yes, I think what she heard was 'Muggle'."  
"Wasn't that something to do with your school?"  
"Yes, but I can't see how it could be connected." Adam let this ride, filing it away in his head with all the other questions that needed answers.  
"Also, when she told you about the lights and the noises, you smiled." He left the sentence hanging.  
"I did, it reminds me of something, but I have to check first." He replied, hoping this would be enough for Adam, knowing in his heart it wouldn't be.  
"One more thing," Adam said just as Tony thought he had got away with it. "Why did you smile when she said she looked like a witch?"  
"Do you miss nothing?" He asked, angry that he had given himself away again, realising that this man could read him like a book.  
"I try not to." Adam continued, his eyes not leaving Tony's, making him feel like a schoolboy caught doing something wrong.  
Tony scratched his head for a moment before shrugging. "Nothing, I'm used to people looking like that." He said defensively.  
"You've said that before." Adam was staring at him continuing to make Tony feel uncomfortable. "How are we supposed to investigate a crime, when it is clear you have information you are unwilling to share?"  
"I'm not unwilling, I cannot do so at this time."  
Adam leant forward and put his face close to Tony's. "Bullshit."  
Tony tried and failed to stop himself from laughing. "You are so bloody right."  
"I know, when you've been in this business as long as I have, you recognise bullshit very quickly." Adam sat back. "I will let this ride, for now, however, I will be asking you more questions and I will expect answers, understand."

Tony thought for a moment. "As I said, if I am allowed, or have to bring you into the Ministries confidence, I will."  
"Let's pretend that you already have no choice to bring me into the Ministries confidence."  
"No, too dangerous, for you and me." Tony stood up ending the conversation.  
Adam realised he getting no more out of Tony for now.

"Hello, Gwen," Adam said aloud to the room. Tony spun around looking for whom he was talking to until he remembered the earpiece. "Dammit." He exclaimed after a moment. "I'll be at the flat in an hour; I need to see the boss first. Sorry, Gwen, I've bad news, I'll tell you when I get there."  
"Something wrong?" He asked as Adam stood up.  
"My wife has just arrived at my flat."  
"And you have something to hide?"  
Adam stopped and looked at Tony. "No, we're supposed to be going to my retirement party tonight."  
"Retire from what?" Tony asked, becoming more confused by the moment.  
"I was retiring today, but this case has put a stop to that and I forgot to tell Gwen. She has travelled all the way here on the train from North Wales." Tony was about to launch into a whole raft of questions before Adam spoke aloud. "Phone, call Superintendent Marchbank."

Adam paced the room while he waited for the phone to connect. Tony jumped when the display flickered and a man's face appeared.  
"What's up, Adam?"  
"Retirement do tonight." He said as the man in the display nodded at Tony.  
"I assume you're the new DCI?" He asked, completely ignoring a very agitated Adam.  
"Tony Garrett."  
"Dan Marchbank, we'll have a chat later." He looked back at Adam, who looked as if he was about to explode. "Nugent sorted it all out, put it on hold." A big grin appeared on the man's face, enjoying Adams discomfort.  
"Did no one tell my wife, who has just arrived at my flat?"  
"Of course we did. She said she needed a nice break in London before the new school term begins." Tony watched all of Adams indignation and anger deflate.  
"Did you not think I might need to know this?" He asked as the last of his anger left him.  
"From the chat we had with the commissioner yesterday, I assumed you would need all of your wits about you." He stopped, the smile sliding off his face. "Nobody is happy that you're going and the reasons. Also, nobody is happy with your replacement being so young." He looked towards Tony.  
"I'm not anyone's replacement," Tony said, wondering where this information was coming from.  
"People have been watching, they all think you are. They also know you have come from some secretive Ministry department, so they all think you're some sort of James Bond." Tony wanted to reply but had no idea what he was talking about. So he kept quiet allowing people to believe whatever they wanted to, as soon as this was over, he would be gone, never to be seen again, not realising this thought would come back to haunt him later.

"I distinctly remember asking you to keep quiet about the reasons." Said Adam.  
"I did keep it quiet, but, it seems everyone already knows, although why no one told me, is something else." A grin appeared on his face as the screen went blank.  
"Adam sighed and looked around at Tony, finding him staring back.  
"What." He spat at Tony.  
"Are you going to explain this retirement thing?"  
"No."  
"Why are you retiring? You're still quite young. How old are you, sixty-five, seventy?" Tony watched Adams' eyebrows lift at this comment.  
"I'm forty-five you cheeky bastard." Tony's eyebrows rose this time.  
"Why are you retiring so young?"  
"I have another job."  
"So you're leaving the police?"  
"Yes."  
"Why?"  
"None of your business."  
"We're working together, of course, it's my business."  
Adam walked over and put his face in front of Tony's. "When you tell me what you're hiding, I'll tell you why I'm retiring."


	6. The Muggles Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What the hell is a hex?

They left the police station, the walk across London was pleasant, the sun, still beaming down for the seventh day in a row. The usual call for a hosepipe ban was already being mooted by the press. Adam pulled the door open to the entrance to a large apartment block, the one Tony left him at last night. It was recently painted, clean, free of any graffiti and cool after the heat of the street.

"What is this place?" Asked Tony looking around the foyer of what looked more like an upmarket hotel.  
"The only way you can get police officers to work in London, give them a gratis flat. It's cheaper for the force than paying an officer London rates for accommodation. It's that or they all live a long way out of London and commute. Plus, nobody in their right mind would consider breaking in. The place is full of police, their families and cameras." He pointed at the small unobtrusive marks on the walls.

The lift door opened and a uniformed officer came out still tucking his shirt in.  
"Morning, Sir." He said, seeing them both coming towards him.  
"Morning Constable." He stopped and looked at Adam. "Is something the matter?" He asked.  
"Is someone staying in your flat, Sir?" He asked, his voice showing he was unsure of himself.  
"Yes, my wife turned up about an hour ago."  
"That explains it then. As I came out I could hear a high pitched noise, seemed like it was coming from a flat on your floor."  
"Thanks, I'll go and sort it out."  
The Constable nodded and went on his way. Tony had put his hand on the lift door to stop it from closing until Adam joined him inside.

Eight floors up and Tony spoke. "I can hear that scream." He said as the lift stopped at the tenth floor. The doors slid open, the noise became louder.  
"What is that noise?" Adam asked as he looked around for the source of the scream, which seemed to be coming from every direction at the same time. It was not loud, but it seemed to drill into Adams' ears. They continued up the hallway to the end flat, as they did the scream became louder, still muffled.  
"Is it coming from inside one of the flats?" Tony asked as they sped up.

Adam pushed a door that swung open, unlocked. The scream became much louder as Adam flew through the open door into the hallway, with Tony right behind him. The noise came from a room further on, loud enough to make them both wince, as the kitchen door was shouldered open by Adam. He ran around the table, on the floor was a dark haired woman, her mouth open impossibly wide, a scream, continuous and unending, was coming from her mouth.

Tony slipped the metal vaping tube from his sleeve, threw the metal pieces to the floor, leaving his wand in his hand.  
"Silencio." He said, pointing the wand at the woman. The scream reduced but did not stop altogether. "Is this your wife?" He asked, looking at Adam, whose face was white with the shock.  
"Yes, it's Gwen, what the hell is wrong with her?" He tried to pull her towards him, but her body was stiff. Her face was almost colourless and her mouth set in a painful grimace. "How can she scream without taking a breath?" He said hysteria in his voice as he fumbled his phone out of his pocket, forgetting for a moment that the phone could be voice operated.  
"She's been hexed," Tony replied keeping calm, as he realised he was about to break the ministry's rule about Muggles. "Remember I told you that, given the chance, I would explain myself and what I do." Adam nodded, still looking at his wife. "Put your phone away, you're about to get a crash course into a world you never knew existed."   
Tony slipped his wand into his jacket pocket as Adam did likewise with his notebook. He reached down and grasped Adam and his wife by the wrists. Adam looked up at him, anguish etched across his face.  
"Adam, brace yourself, you're not going to enjoy this." A loud crack echoed around the empty and now silent kitchen.

The three of them reappeared in the same position, the floor now clean polished floorboards. People were walking around them, oblivious to their appearance. Adam felt the world move around him, he felt compressed and unable to breathe. Luckily, he was kneeling down as he felt like he was going to fall over or vomit or both. He allowed himself to slump down to the floor beside his wife.  
"Matron." Shouted Tony, a woman dressed as a nurse from the eighteenth century appeared from a side room.  
"What's going on?" She looked at Adam and seemed to freeze for a moment, then she looked down, a number of emotions crossed her face. She unfroze and knelt down, pulling her wand out, before moving it down the body, which immediately relaxed and the silent scream stopped. She watched for a moment as Gwen shuddered and took a deep breath. Tony noticed that the matron had grabbed her hand.  
"That'll do for now, any idea of the hex Mr Garrett?" She said standing.  
"None." He replied shaking his head.  
"Will she live?" Adam asked, his voice almost breaking.  
"Of course, she'll live." She said as if he had asked the most stupid question she had ever heard in her life. "Nasty hex, but we'll sort it out." Adam stayed rooted to the floor, not sure if he could stand. "Don't sit in the middle of the floor Mr Croft, you're in the way, be off with you, and you Mr Garratt. Nurse?" She called out. A nurse came from out of a doorway that Adam was certain wasn't there a moment ago. "Take Gwenfron Jones up to ward three."

Tony pulled at Adams sleeve several times until he looked up.  
"Come on, there's a pub down the road. If you don't need a drink now, you will by the time we get there."  
"How the hell did she know our names? Where the hell are we?" He asked finally taking in his surroundings as he stood up.  
"This is St Mungo's. It's a hospital, the only hospital that can help your wife."  
"I've never heard of it."  
"Good. Come on." Tony took hold of Adam’s arm again, guiding him towards the door. After a little hesitation, he allowed himself to be led towards the exit, his legs still trembling. He looked back and watched Gwen float up the stairs, the Nurse holding a strange stick in front of her.

Three steps later, he stopped in his tracks, as the strange disorientation, and a feeling of suffocation gripped him. The same thing he felt a few moments ago had happened again. His legs felt weak and another wave of nausea flowed through him. He thought he was about to collapse again until Tony grabbed his arm and held him steady while the disorientation faded. 

His head cleared and his mouth dropped open as he surveyed a busy Diagon Alley, feeling as if he had travelled back a hundred years. A pair of oddly dressed people ambled down the cobbled street, nodding to Tony and Adam as they passed.   
Tony stood in front of him, blocking his view of the alley with his head.  
"Are you with me, Adam?"  
"Where are we?" He asked as his eyes focused on Tony's face.  
"This is my world. Well, this is Diagon Alley. It's where witches and wizards buy and sell magical stuff."  
Adam's stare moved from Tony to the street and its strange buildings and people. "Can I have that drink, now?"  
"Come on, the Leaky Cauldron's just up the road." Tony turned away and started walking slowly, until he realised Adam was beside him, allowing him to speed up.

As they walked, Adam kept stopping, to peer into the strange shops, most of them, dark and very unnerving. He stopped at a neat little shop that had the sign, opening soon in large letters plastered across the glass. He looked up and read 'Vandemar and Croup' for all your Soliciting needs'. They moved on, passing more shops until Adam stopped.  
"What the fuck is a wand shop?" He asked, staring into the dim, unlit shop, seeing someone moving around inside.  
Tony slipped his wand out and held it in front of himself.  
"This is a wand, it allows people to use magic." Tony could see Adam taking this information in and analytically filing it away.  
"The chopstick." He replied, Tony, smiled and nodded.  
"How did we get here?"  
"It's called apparition, you did well, most people pass out or vomit on their first trip."  
"I did want to vomit and pass out. I still do." He walked to one side and sat down on a bench outside a small shop, his legs still trembling. 

Tony sat down beside him. "I was asked not to tell you about us, something I have been against. But, if they had allowed me, I would like to have shown you our world in a more controlled manner. You have been dropped into the middle of this and for you, must be an absolute nightmare."  
"I have so many questions; I don't know where to start."  
"Don't try, let's get that drink. As things happen, I'll explain as we go on."  
The two of them stood up and continued their slow walk down Diagon Alley.  
"This is what you've been hiding. Adam asked, breaking the silence.  
"Yes, the reason for all the secrecy."  
"No wonder the AI blew a fuse this morning. How long has this been going on?"  
"We've been around as long as the human race. We hid away hundreds of years ago."  
"Are you some sort of magician?"  
"I'm a wizard; the matron and the nurses at St Mungo's are all witches. In fact, just about everyone you see here is either a witch or a wizard." Tony pointed up the street towards a towering grey building, looking as if it was about to fall over. "That's Gringotts, the Wizarding bank."  
"You have your own bank?" Asked Adam amazed.  
"Yes and our own currency." He pulled a few coins from his pocket and held them out in front of Adam. In his hand were a few chunky old-fashioned looking coins, with rounded edges.  
They continued down the cobbled street, dodging a multitude of people. Adam kept stopping and staring into the windows of the strange shops.

Minutes later they slipped into the Leaky Cauldron, Adam dropped onto a wooden bench and took a deep breath. He looked around the old pub, something he had only seen in old movies, greeted his vision. Although it was midday, the pub was buzzing with people, chatting with each other. The place had an ambience about it that made Adam feel completely at ease. 

A man with a long white beard sat at the next table, nodded at him as he looked over. Beside him on the spare seat was a large black pointed hat. Adam nodded back and was astonished to see the man lift a long narrow white clay pipe to his mouth. Then he pointed a long piece of wood at the end, which ignited the material in the pipe's bowl. He took a deep breath and then exhaled a cloud of smoke, which rose up to the thick dark beams. He settled back with a contented air and read an old newspaper he had spread out on the table.

Adams' eyes continued around the room, taking the strange assortment of people of all ages and dress sense. The door opened and a tall woman wafted in, flowing colourful skirts and cape swished around her. She looked around the room, her eyes latching onto Adam. A smile broke out on her face and she flounced over. Adam felt that the local loony had just singled him out.  
"Detective Chief Inspector Croft?" She asked in a bright effervescent voice.  
He nodded. She waved her hand at the barman as she sat down.   
"Botilda Grimworthy. I work for the Ministry." She leant forward, looking at him closely before shaking his hand. "You've just had a few shocks, haven't you?"  
"A few?" Noticing how hot her hand was, that was still clutching his.  
"You're quite safe; Charring Cross Road is only a few yards away."  
"Is it?" He asked she nodded back the smile never leaving her face.

A man the size of a large bear forced his way into the room, which seemed to get smaller. His face covered with thick curly blond hair; his clothes looked like they had seen better days, many years ago. The room seemed to shake with every step he took. The giant sat down on a stool that looked like it could not cope but was going to valiantly try, regardless.

He looked back at the strange woman as she let go of his hand, still smiling at him. Her curly multi-coloured hair seemed to explode out from under her hat. Her eyes were deep green and seemed to sparkle. Adam thought she was oddly attractive; he had no idea why0  
.  
Tony arrived at the table with the drinks. He placed one in front of Adam and Botilda. Adam picked his tankard up, took a deep drink, and swallowed.  
"Wow." He exclaimed, looking at the tankard.  
"Feeling a little better?" She asked.  
Adam leant back in the chair and gestured around the room for a moment, trying to put his thoughts into words. He shook his head in bemusement while Tony returned to the bar to get his own drink.  
As he sat down, he turned to Botilda. "Didn't take you long to turn up."  
"The matron of Mungo's contacted us saying an Auror just brought in a hexed Muggle with a policeman. As you're the only Auror working with a Muggle at the moment, it didn't take much thought to work out it was you."  
"Am I in trouble?"  
"Good grief no. The ministry knows what you were doing. We expected that you would have to take your partner into your confidence to a degree at some time. We didn't expect it to be so soon, or via St. Mungo's."  
"Did you talk to anyone about the recording I told you about?"  
"Yes, they said not to worry."  
"What does that mean?" He asked.  
"It means not to worry." She replied giving him a stare.  
"How is my wife?" Asked Adam, who had been listening to her every word.  
"She'll be fine, but she'll need a day or two's recuperation after they've removed the hex fully."  
"What's a hex?" He asked the numbness he was feeling was loosening up, due to the drink he had just finished.  
"It was a magical spell, designed to maim or hurt. A nasty one that can linger for many days. I'll try to get some more information for you, but the Matron doesn't want to talk to me."  
"When was she," he raised his hands up, "hexed?"  
"Can't tell for certain, but within an hour of your arrival at St Mungo's."   
"She must have been, hexed, almost the moment she arrived at the flat, how can anyone survive that for so long?"  
"The hex was designed to work that way and to last for as long as possible." She leant across the table again and clasped Adams hand, surprising him again at how hot she felt, as she looked straight into his eyes. "Don't worry; she'll remember nothing of what happened to her, St Mungo's will make sure of it."  
"How does someone put a hex on someone?"  
"They use a wand."  
"The chopstick." He said turning to Tony, who smiled back.  
"A short stick that made by a wandmaker. It channels the magical ability in the way the user wants." She finished talking as if this was the most obvious thing she could do. "As a matter of interest, that large man over by the bar is Pinne Byquist, the local wandmaker."  
Adam looked over at the huge man who was lifting himself off the stool that had survived against the odds. He tried to imagine this giant making the little sticks and failed. The floor shook with each step as he walked back out the door.

He took another deep drink certain he had already emptied the tankard, feeling a calming influence come over him. His brain worked again and switched to police mode.  
"Could a wand be used to hurt someone, or even kill them?"  
Botilda paused for a moment, looking at Tony before answering. "It has been known. Wands can do many good things and, rarely, they are misused. We try not to discuss it."   
Her body posture had changed, telling Adam she would not continue with this line of questioning. He decided to change tack, as he did not want to alienate this strange but friendly woman. The one thing he thought he would need at this moment was friends. He put it to the back of his head, ready to broach the subject when he was alone with Tony. 

"How often do you have to talk a Muggle through something like this?" Adam asked changing the subject.  
"Your sort of the first real Muggle, I have met in many years. More years than I care to remember." She said, looking abashed.  
"What's a real Muggle?" Adam asked, smiling in confusion before stopping and pointing at Tony. "Muggle." Tony nodded and smiled.  
"All the people I've met, who are non-magical, are parents of children I meet or parents of fellow students when I was at school. You're a real Muggle who up to a few minutes ago knew nothing about us, and I have to say, you're taking it rather well."  
"I've spent close to thirty years, seeing the strange things people do, nothing surprises me anymore. But, I can say I feel completely out of my depth at this moment, and it's a long time since I felt like this." He looked down for a moment trying to get his thoughts straight. "How can you not have met a real Muggle before?" He asked smiling at the thought.  
"Since my school years, I have never left the magical community. The only time I ever see Muggles is just before the beginning of the school year."  
"School year?"  
"Hogwarts School, just before term starts, all the students come here to buy books, potions, ingredients, paper, pens and the like. The Muggle parents of students come with them."  
"So it's not something you're born with?" He asked.  
"Yes and no. Tony's parents are both Muggles, I've met them, must have been a hell of a shock when someone turned up at their door." Tony smiled and nodded.  
"How could you know someone is magical, is that the right word?"  
"Yes. Some of us are trained to spot magical ability from quite some distance. Once someone is discovered, they pass the information to the correct Ministry department. They watch the family, to make sure it's the correct child, that's if they are Muggle-born. Children from magical families already know their children are gifted, most of the time."  
"So when you worked out someone's child is magical, you just turn up at the door and tell them?" He asked.  
"We don't turn up. We send them a letter offering them a place at the nearest school, it's not that much of a surprise, because latent abilities have a habit of turning up at a young age. Things happen around the child that is very unusual."  
"What latent abilities?"  
"You really are full of questions Detective Croft. Children being put to bed without a favourite toy, the toy ending up with them in bed, lights turning themselves on or off for no reason. By the time a letter arrives or a ministry worker turns up to tell them, they are usually quite relieved to find out the child is normal, although a little special."

He thought for a moment and decided to go back to wands. "I find it odd you carry wands around, wands that can maim and kill."  
Her green piercing eyes looked straight into his, the humour had gone. "Under your coat, you have an item that can kill, just by pointing it."  
"But I'm trained to use it." He said defensively.  
"Every wizard and witch must be trained at a school like Hogwarts, no exceptions." She said this as if he should already know this. "We have strict laws on underage magic outside school. We have Auror's, who are trained to go after wizards and witches that are found to be doing wrong."  
"That's what Tony does." He said looking at Tony, who had so far, said nothing. Adam realised that Tony was watching his responses to the information, given by Botilda. He also noted that Tony's right hand was inside his jacket. He assumed, wrongly, that he had his wand at the ready if he went crazy.  
"Yes." She replied after a moment's hesitation.  
"Poor sods trying to do his job and he's got me watching his every move." Adam shook his head while he looked into Tony's eyes. "And I thought you were learning from me." Tony smiled shaking his head.  
"He is learning. You see, the Auror's are the nearest thing to a police force we have." She said standing up. "Well, Detective Chief Inspector Croft, you seem fine. I'll keep an eye on your wife. Tony can contact me when you want to check up on her progress. I'll leave you and Tony to talk. I'm sure you have many questions."  
"Thank you Botilda. I hope we meet again and next time, call me Adam?" He said with feeling. "One more thing." She turned back. "Any advice you can give me?"  
"My mother always told me to treat people as you would want to be treated and avoid prophecies." She turned, smiled at Tony, and headed back to the door and out into Diagon Alley.

Adam finished his drink and pushed the empty mug towards Tony. "I could do with another of these." He looked down at his mug and found it was still full. He looked up and found Tony was smiling at him.  
Adam's mind was coming to terms with some things he had seen and heard. He leant forward towards Tony.  
"Prophecies?"  
"More trouble than they're worth." He replied taking another drink.  
"The bearded guy over on the next table is smoking, which is illegal."  
The grin re-appeared on Tony's face. "You find out another magical world hidden under your nose, and all you're worried about is someone smoking. Seriously."


	7. The Hangover and the Wandmaker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam starts to learn about this strange new world. The story now starts to move away from JK's Wizarding World and into my world.

Adam surfaced; bright light battered at his closed eyelids, an annoying thumping seemed to clash with the pain inside his head. He sat up in bed, sickness rolling around his stomach, his eyes hurt, and he hadn't even opened them yet. Again, the banging seemed to amplify the pain in his head. He moved to the edge of the bed, his head and stomach rolling in protest. He took several deep breaths, trying to fight back nausea and the inevitable headlong rush to the toilet.

Finally, he opened his eyes, pained seemed to drill into his brain. He realised he was still dressed, his jacket lying on the floor where he must have thrown it. Then he noticed that he was in his flat. Memories creeping back in from the night before, great beer, strange people, great beer, someone smoking, great beer, and wands. Another round of banging threatened to send him over the sickness thresh hold until he realised someone was banging on the front door.

He walked across the room, using the wall for support until he got to the door. Opening it, he found Tony, shaven, no bags under his eyes, two large beverage cups in his hands, steam rising from them. Tony pushed past him without saying a word, entering the kitchen. He dropped the two cups on the work surface before filling a separate glass with water. He then took a small bottle from his pocket and held it out to Adam.  
"Drink, now." Was all he said.

Adam took the bottle, struggling with the little cork stopper, his hands trembling as he held it to his lips. He closed his eyes and tipped the contents into his mouth. Adam made an involuntary shudder, and groaned in surprise, as it felt like someone had poured a cup of cold water over his head. He was sure he could feel it run down his neck and chest. He opened his eyes, the headache, nausea, the weakness in his legs, all gone. He took a deep breath and realised he felt great. He looked at Tony in surprise.  
"I don't do hangovers." He said smiling at Adam, holding the cup of water and coffee out towards him. "Water first." He instructed.  
"I haven't felt this well for years," Adam said smiling. "What the hell is this?" He asked, looking at the small bottle.  
"It's a potion I make, it won't last. In a couple of hours, you will feel a little deflated, tired." He held out his hand, took the bottle, and slipped it into his pocket.  
"Please tell me, did I dream about magic and a hospital?" He asked, knowing the answer, but hoping for something different.  
"Not for one moment. You have far too much of a liking for the Leaky Cauldrons special brew. I've seen seasoned wizards fall over drinking less."  
"One of the best brews I've ever tasted and I've tasted a few in my day."  
"The Cauldron's brew is good, but it's not the best."  
Adam's eyebrows rose at this news. "What are our plans for today?" He asked ready to get going, full of boundless energy. "I need to check on Gwen."  
"Already done so. She had a comfortable night's sleep and is none the worse for what happened to her. The matron demanded she stays for at least a couple of days, to make sure there are no relapses or other problems."  
"Why would she demand that?" He asked as Tony reached down and picked up the two pieces of metal that made up his vaping tube, slipping them into his pocket.  
"I have no idea and I'm even less inclined to ask why." He said as they walked into the living room. "I checked your flat over last night, but, I may have been a little worse for wear. Can you see anything out of the ordinary?" Tony asked.  
"No, but considering what I know now. I don't see how we could find anyone who could use your method of transport." Tony had pulled his wand out and was waving it around the room, stopping at certain points.  
"This is where they apparated into the flat." He said, pointing at the open area in front of the couch. "I'd say they searched the flat pretty thoroughly. What I don't know, is whether they were here before or after your wife arrived. She could have surprised them."  
"No. One thing Gwen isn't, is quiet. I would guess most of the building heard her arrive." Tony tried to picture the woman he found yesterday on the floor, being loud, he couldn't. "The problem is that the way your lot travel, no one would have seen them arrive or leave, even though there are CCTV cameras all over the building."

They both went quiet until Tony looked up. "While you were talking to Botilda yesterday, I contacted the Ministry about the dead people your police found. Hopefully, somebody at the Ministry can give us some background on their movements recently."  
"How would you track movements like that?"  
"Apparition isn't the only way we travel, there's the Floo network, which is monitored. The Knight Bus also monitored, Port key, again monitored. So if they used them, we might be lucky." He thought for a moment as Adams' mouth hung open, not understanding a word. "They could be using brooms."  
"Piss off," Adam said looking at him, with a bemused look on his face.  
"Honestly, we can travel, quickly, by broom, but, it's the most uncomfortable form of transport. Kids love it, there's an entire sport based on broom flying."  
"Seriously, you fly a broom. I do not believe you."  
"It's taught in the first year at Hogwarts."  
"Rubbish?" Tony nodded again as he saw the incredulous look on his face. "You allow eleven-year-olds to carry dangerous wands around and allow them to fly on fucking brooms. How stupid do you think I am?"  
Tony laughed. "I swear it's true. The first time was the most exciting thing I had ever done. I remember my first attempt, flew straight into a wall at speed. I ended up in the infirmary with bruises in places I didn't know you could get bruises, and a huge lump on my head, luckily no broken bones." He paused for a moment. "If I remember rightly, three students broke bones that week." Adam noticed that there were none of the guarded responses from Tony as if he was more than happy to talk all day about his world.  
"I do not believe a word of this. What did their parents say when they found out then?"  
"I don't think they ever did, they wouldn't have bothered, anyway. The infirmary at Hogwarts can repair bones in minutes; they've had centuries of practice." Tony laughed again. "Health and safety would have a field day at Hogwarts." He paused, remembering his days at school. "In our potions classes, we made lethal poisons, that could kill hundreds of people in the most horrible ways imaginable. We made liquids that could remove the skin from a body in seconds, drafts that could ensnare and destroy the mind, love potions, all before lunch."  
"Sounds like utter fucking madness," Adam said leaning back on the couch, a smile still plastered across his face.

"The worst parts were the holidays." A note of sadness had entered his voice. "I had to come home to my parents and keep all I had learnt a secret, pretend I went to a special school for the gifted. I lost all my friends. My holidays were very lonely." Tony paused for a moment.  
"I assume your sister isn't like you?"  
"It's the reason we haven't talked in over fifteen years, apart from hello and goodbye. In her position, I would have done the same thing. I was a bit of a twat." Adam didn't know what to say to this admission.  
"I remember coming home for my first Christmas. I was amazed to see the whole wide world had become boring, mundane, and somehow very small." He paused for a moment, memories flitting over his mind. "I explained this to my sister in great detail." He paused again and looked around at Adam. "I think the reason your wife was hexed, was because someone is trying to get to me, through you."  
"Could they be getting to me, because I work for the police?" He allowed him to change the subject, as the memories, he could tell, we're not very nice.  
"Could very well be, either way, they know we are investigating on both sides, so we are both in danger."  
"Can you kill with a wand?" Adam asked.  
"Yes." He said after a moment, holding his hand up to stop Adam asking more questions. "However, while at school, all students are taught to use defensive spells only. I've been trained, since leaving school, to do a lot more than your average witch or wizard." He paused and looked at Adam. "All the murders we're investigating were killed by wands."  
"So the locked rooms are nothing special, someone apparates, is that the word?" Tony nodded. "Into a room, kills the victim and scarpers the same way?"  
"Pretty much."  
"So, the murderer is pretty much like you, an Auror."  
"Why would you think that?" Tony asked, looking at Adam in shock.  
"You said witches and wizards are trained in defensive use only, Auror's are trained to kill."

Tony was stunned at Adams thinking for a moment, realising he was not explaining himself very well. "I can teach another wizard to use a wand, teach him the things I know if I wanted. A gifted individual can make his own spells and potions. So it could be anyone."  
"For a moment there I thought I had just narrowed the list of suspects down."  
"I do wish it was that simple," Tony said.  
"So we're looking for someone good with a wand and clever." Tony nodded. "Well, we should take another look at the evidence we have, with a new set of eyes. Things have changed since yesterday."  
"We need to visit the wand maker in Diagon Alley first. I had a message this morning, asking me to see him."  
"The wandmaker, isn't that the giant we saw in the bar last night?"  
"Yes, but he's not a giant, they're much bigger, he's just a big Viking." Adam's mouth had opened at Tony's comment about giants. He closed it again, deciding he didn't need to know.  
"What will he tell us?"  
"Someone tried to get a wand to us yesterday and decided that neither of us was capable, so they sent it to Pinne instead."  
"And this means?" He asked as Tony stood up, gesturing for Adam to do likewise.  
"Wait and see, take my arm." Reluctantly, Adam placed his hand on Tony's forearm, a moment later he felt himself being pulled into the suffocating darkness again.

He found himself standing in the strange alley again, the shops closed and silent. Tony banged on the wand maker's door, while Adam grabbed a lamppost to stop himself from falling down. He looked around at the shadows, amazed at how sinister the Alley was, at this time in the morning.

A window opened above them.  
"Hells teeth Garratt, have you seen the time?" Bellowed a voice from above, followed by a short pause. "What do you want?" Tony breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the humour in Pinne's voice.  
"Sorry, you have something for us."  
The window closed with a thump that rattled the glass on most of the windows nearby.

The door opened a couple of minutes later, Adam stepped back a pace as Pinne looked down on them both. He moved aside leaving just enough room for them both to enter the shop. Adam remembered him from last night, sitting at the bar in the Cauldron; somehow, he looked even bigger now they were in this small shop.

"Saw you last night, you're a Muggle." He said bluntly as they entered the shop.  
"Is it that obvious?" Adam replied, holding his hand out. "DCI Adam Croft." He felt his hand engulfed for a moment. His eyes kept travelling around the strange shop, at the floor to ceiling shelves full of hundreds of narrow boxes.  
"Pinne Byquest. I meet dozens of Muggles at the beginning of each term, when they come to buy their child's wand, or when they are older, replacing a broken wand." He looked at Tony who looked at Adam.  
"I broke three wands during my school years." He said by way of an explanation.  
"Four wands, I didn't make that thing you are carrying. Isn't it time you replaced it with something better?"  
"Your brother made me that."  
"I know." He replied, taking a small box from below the shop counter. He pulled a carved wand from the box. "One of mine again, only this one is different."  
"How do you know it's one of yours?" Adam asked, looking at the engraved smoothed wood.  
"I know every wand I have made. Spruce, phoenix feather, ten and a half inches, flexible. This wands owner is still alive. His name is Ramsey Arn." He looked at them. "Have you ever been to Lykkeligdal?"  
"Yes, I used to go there on the weekends while I was at Durmstrang." He looked around at Adam. "It's a village on the Swedish and Norwegian border?"  
"I was born there." Said Pinne proudly.  
"What made you come here?" Adam asked, trying to keep himself in the conversation, realising where Pinne's accent came from.  
"My father and brother are both wandmakers. A village the size of Lykkeligdal doesn't need three wandmakers, it doesn't need one, but with a school nearby." he shrugged. "I was told about 35 years ago, Olivander, the wandmaker who used to own this shop, had stopped making wands. Apparently, he was kidnapped and tortured and never made another wand. The students attending the school, for several years, had to go quite some distance to get a wand. This is easy for witches and wizards, but Muggle parents were having serious problems. We all know," he looked at Tony, "the wand chooses the wizard, so buying one unseen will cause problems for the user."  
"You make it sound like the wand is alive?"  
Pinne smiled down at Adam. "I received a letter from a Hogwarts Professor, suggesting I come here, as a ready source of wands was required. I was here two weeks later, with every wand I had made, just before the beginning of the school year. I signed a long lease with Hogwarts help. The Shop was a wreck, but it was full for several weeks."  
"So your father and brother are still in this village?"  
"My parents yes, my brother now works at the school not far from the village. He makes wands to order for the students like Tony and members of staff." He had leaned over towards them while talking. He straightened up, his head, brushing the ceiling.  
"Now to business. This wand, as I said was different, it was made by me, but, I made this wand and sold it to Ramsey Arn while I was in Lykkeligdal.  
"Where was the wand found?" Tony asked.  
"Lying on the Charring Cross Road near the Leaky Cauldron."  
"Muggle side?" Pinne nodded.  
"Who sent the wand?" Adam asked.  
"I don't know." He pulled his huge wand from the front pocket of his overalls.  
"Is it normal for someone to send a wand like this?" Adam continued. "Is it something to do with the case?"  
"It must be." There was a doubt in Tony's voice.

Pinne pointed his wand at Ramsey Arn's wand, pictures appeared from the end of the wand, one after the other.  
"What are you doing?" Adam asked, wondering what they were staring at so intently, as he could see nothing.  
"Those were the spells this wand has been used to produce. The spells he uses most are Protego Totalum, Lumos, Incendio, Tergeo, Dissolusient charms and Invisibility spells. The last spell he cast was Pack."  
"And what the hell did all that mean?" Adam asked, feeling very much out of his depth. "What can you see I can't?"  
"It's magical, so you're unable to see it. Sorry." Pinne said almost apologetically. "Standard spells for someone living in a cold environment and working as a Drake Hanterare." Pinne handed the wand to Tony.  
"So, nothing out of the ordinary then, except for the last one, Pack."  
"Explain, please?" Adam asked annoyance in his voice.  
"Pack a bag. It would suggest he didn't leave in a particular hurry, he had time to pack."  
They went quiet for a moment, thinking.

"Didn't you say a wizard was found dead somewhere in Norway?" Adam asked looking at Tony.  
"Yes, he was found in Torkel, one of Lykkeligdal's inn's, locked in the room he was renting."  
"I didn't know this. You can use the Floo to get to Torkel from here." Pinne gestured towards the large man-sized fireplace that dominated one wall of the shop. He reached under the counter, pulled out a large stone pot, and thumped it onto the table. Adam peered in and saw it was full of grey dust. "Unless you want to apparate? That's if you can apparate that far."  
Adam was looking back and forth between them both as if they were talking in a foreign language again.  
"I'll use the Floo first. I'll come back for you in a few minutes." He said to Adam, smiling before he turned to Pinne. "What's the weather like at the moment?"  
"It's summer, so no snow; you'll find the locals in tee shirts. Does rain a lot at this time of the year, so you might need a coat."  
"Northern Sweden or Norway, I'd expect snow. Adam said.  
"No, it's quite pleasant at this time of year. The Drakes are resting; the days are pleasant as long as it's not raining."  
"What have duck's got to do with the weather?" Asked Adam still confused, frustration showing in his voice.  
"Drake does not mean duck, and before you ask, you really do not want to know," Tony replied emphatically. Adam closed his mouth.  
"The bar's owner is called Tor. Tell him where you have come from and he'll get some wet weather clothing ready if you need them. Don't expect to get a room for the night; he has quite a few customers at this time of year."  
Tony grabbed a handful of the grey powder from the pot and walked into the fireplace.  
"Tor and I are old friends. Torkel." Tony announced before throwing the powder at his feet. Green fire engulfed him. Adam moved forward in alarm as the flames fizzled out and Tony had gone. He looked at Pinne, who was smiling down at him.  
"Scary isn't it." 

Adam nodded back, dumbfounded by what he had seen and hoped he was not expected to do the same thing.  
"As you are going into some bad places with Mr Garrett, I think you need a little protection." He held out a small necklace he had taken from below the counter, made from many small colourful pieces of wood, locked together with delicate metal links. "This is something of my design. It's made from the same woods as my wands. The pieces have been soaked in the various potions and tinctures I used to make my wands. Also, I have added some protection charms. It's not much but will act as a shield to protect you from some nastier spells that could be used against you. Wear it out of sight, under your shirt. It's not much, but it may help to save your life."

Adam took the item and inspected it. "You made this?" He asked marvelling at the intricate detail as Pinne nodded. He pulled it over his head and slipped it under his shirt. It felt warm against his skin. "Thank you." If someone had told him to wear a necklace for protection a couple of days ago, he realised, he would have walked away in disgust, thinking the person a lunatic. "What would my chances be against a wizard or witch?"  
"Truthful?" He asked and Adam nodded. "None, even with your guns."  
"That's what I was starting to think."  
He was about to talk again as Tony snapped into existence in front of them.  
"Are you ready Adam?"  
"No. I'm not going into that fireplace." He stepped back from Tony's outstretched hand.  
"Don't worry, I'll get us there without the fire, trust me." He reached out and took Adams arm before nodding at Pinne.


	8. Lykkeligdal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what is a Drake Hanterare?

A split second later, Adam sucked in a lungful of the cooler air, as the apparition made him stagger for a moment, a wave of nausea and dizziness swept through him, although the odd squeezing sensation was still the same. It was definitely getting easier he thought, as he took in his new surroundings, clutching at the rough bark of a huge fir tree.

He was standing in a small grass-covered square, surrounded by quaint wooden houses with tall, narrow roofs and even narrower chimneys. Many small shuttered windows were open, allowing the summer air and light in. He followed Tony towards the largest building over a small twisted bridge. The building was enormous, made from huge tree trunks, reaching up over four floors. Extra rooms were attached randomly to the building's roofline, looking as if they could come down again at any moment.

They walked over the bridge and under the archway formed by the building, a sign on the wall pointing along a well-trodden footpath stated 'Drakes', another sign below this said 'Durmstrang', with an arrow pointing the opposite way. Next to this was a huge door which Tony shouldered open. 

Adam followed him in, surprised to find he needed his whole weight to close the door again. Around them was a neat tavern, carved wooden chairs around large solid tables. One wall had an enormous fireplace with an unlit fire sitting forlornly in the small grate. At the far end of the room was the bar, again made from the same wood as the rest of the tavern, only polished smooth from years of use. Behind the bar, rows of shelves, full of bottles of different colours and shapes. He looked at a couple and was certain he saw something move in a larger one.

"Velkommen til Torkel." Said a quiet voice from behind the dimly lit bar, making Adam look away from the bottles. A figure moved to the bar and banged two tankards down.  
"Tor, this is my partner Adam Croft."  
"Welcome to Torkel Adam. I have no spare rooms at the moment as the drakes are restless." Adam nodded back, no idea what he was talking about, guessing at what the man was saying, his accent so thick.  
"Do you know where Ramsey Arn is?" Tony asked Tor.  
"No, but Charley Weasley will know. The sun is shining so you'll enjoy your walk." The man, Tor, leaned into the light. He was another Viking to look at, long blond unkempt hair, bushy beard, built the same as Pinne, only nowhere near as tall, still imposing though, thought Adam. "Enjoy your drinks." He turned and slipped into the dimness behind the bar.  
Adam turned to Tony. "What's a Drake and why are we going for a walk?"  
"We need to talk to Ramsey Arn, and he is a Drake Hanterare." He paused for a moment working out what to say next. "I'm hoping that we don't see a Drake, but if we do, no amount of explanation will prepare you for it."

Adam took a gulp of the drink and then followed this with an explosion of coughing. He was red-faced trying to get air into his lungs. He looked at Tony and watched him take a delicate sip of this own drink.  
"They like their drinks with a little kick up here," Tony whispered.  
"Yes," Said Adam trying to take a breath, "they do."  
"Don't tell anyone I said this, but they make better beer than the Leaky Cauldron."  
Adam looked at him in amazement. "This is beer?" He asked, before taking another smaller mouthful, finding himself enjoying the taste. "You seem to know your way around here?" He said as he emptied the glass.  
"I've spent many evenings here, enjoying the local beer. Come here at the weekend in term time and the place will be crowded with older students and professors."

Drinks finished, they both stepped out into the bright sunlight, Tony marched over the rickety bridge, back towards the edge of the square, turning right at the first building. The first shop they passed showed broomsticks hanging from the ceiling. A large sign stated 'Kosteskaft', which meant nothing to Adam; he assumed that this place sold the fabled broomsticks that could fly. He shook his head in bemusement as he trotted to catch up with Tony, who was heading out of the village along a well-used plank covered path. Adam lagged behind looking into the different shops, trying to work out what they were selling and failing almost every time.  
As soon as they left the lee of the last building, they entered the primal pine forests. Nothing grew on the floor as the high canopy cut out most of the light. They walked on in the preternatural twilight, their footsteps muffled by the bed of pine needles.  
A low, deep rumble seemed to shake the ground they walked on. Adam stopped in his tracks, looking frantically around the dark trees.

He was about to ask Tony, but he was looking at him with his finger pressed to his lips.  
"We're close now." Whispered Tony striding on, with almost indecent haste, thought Adam.  
A figure stepped out from the trees in front. Tony stopped and waited.  
"Are you Tony Garratt?" Whispered a man with an English accent.  
"Ramsey Arn?" Tony replied also whispering.  
"No, I'm Charley Weasley."  
Tony introduced Adam to Charley. Adam was trying not to look at the huge scar running down his face and the unruly mop of ginger hair.  
"I got too close to a Norwegian Horntail." He pointed at the scar, noticing his stare. "One of my brothers has a similar scar, only his is on the other side, and caused by a werewolf."  
Another deep groan seemed to come through the ground rather than the air.  
"What the hell is that noise?" Adam asked, feeling very uneasy, deciding to ignore the werewolf comment, assuming he was trying to frighten him, and he didn't want to admit he had succeeded.  
"That will be one of the Drakes," Tony replied as Charley nodded.  
"That is the reason I met you here. We have a Welsh Green who seems to be getting ready for migration. It's a little early, but nobody ever explained clocks to them. She's more than a little miffed at the moment, so from here on we need to be quiet." Adam perked up at the word Welsh.

Without another word, Charley led them further into the trees for about two hundred meters, where he stopped again. Ahead of them, they could see a circular clearing in the trees with many unlit lanterns hanging at various points.  
"Very quiet now, keep low, and try not to say anything out loud," He whispered as he looked at Adam. "And don't make any sudden movements."

Ten meters further on they came into the clearing, and another twenty in front of them was the serpentine neck of a thirty-foot long green dragon, wings held aloft the head swaying from side to side like a huge snake. Adam felt his insides go cold, and the hairs on his neck rose in primaeval fear. His hands clutched out and grabbed both Charlie and Tony. His mind refused to believe what he saw. He turned away ready to run. Hands grabbed him, holding him still.

"If she sees or hears you running, she may consider you a threat or food and come after you," Charley whispered in his ear. "She can run at close to thirty miles an hour and she can fly at sixty, and they can smell you a mile away. Running is not a good idea. Keep calm, you're safe at the moment." Adam looked at Charley and nodded, trying to equate the huge beast in front of him with the word safe, and failed miserably. He could feel himself shaking and knew it wasn't cold enough to cause it.

The dragon's head dropped, folded itself into a circle, the wings slid back and tucked themselves down. A deep rumble of infra-sound throbbed through the ground as she breathed. Adam was rooted to the spot, unable to take his eyes of the creature that until a few moments ago was nothing but a myth. He started to take in his surroundings little by little, noticing that the trees and bushes surrounding the area had scorch marks on them.

After a few minutes of watching, Charley signalled for them to follow him. He led them through the forest to a group of wooden cabins. All in varying states of repair and age, again, he could see more scorch marks on a few them. They went to the nearest and found a couple of benches on either side of a large rough table. Charley took some bottles off a shelf. He gestured at the benches while he opened before placing them on the table.

Adam realised his hands were shaking as he took a swig of the drink, warmth flowed down into his stomach, he also realised that he would end up being an alcoholic if he stayed in this world for much longer.  
"What the hell was that thing back there?" He asked when he felt he could control his voice.  
"Dragon, first Welsh Green I've ever seen." He said smiling at both Charley and Adam.  
"Welsh Greens are good-natured; some of the others can be complete bastards.  
"Some of them, how many are there?" Adam asked.  
"A dozen Welsh, twenty-five Horntails and several Icelandic Blues. It's taken us generations to get the Welsh Greens to come here to live, rather than in the Welsh valleys. More room up here, easier to keep them hidden."

Adam sank down onto the bench, his shaky legs finally giving way. Charley sat down opposite them and drank from his bottle.  
He gave them both an open measured stare. "An Auror, and whatever you are, this is not a social visit, is it?"  
"This is Detective Chief Inspector Croft. He's a police officer working with the Ministry in a string of murders. One of which took place right here." Tony said between sips of his drink.  
"We've had a death, but no murder," Charley replied.  
"Ninian Ferhe was killed by way of the Avada Kedavra curse."  
"So you say."  
"I'm an Auror; it's my job to know."  
"Do you know where Ramsey Arn is?" Asked Adam, his voice's authority surprised Charley for a moment.  
"Ramsey is a friend of mine, has been for over twenty years."  
"That's not what I asked?" Adam continued, Tony left him to it, enjoying the way the authority in his voice seemed to put Charley ill at ease.  
"What do you want to know?"  
"What's he been up to recently?"  
"He left the camp and village about a month ago."  
"Why?" Spat Adam.  
Charley looked at Tony as if expecting him to defend him. He smiled and took a sip of his drink.  
"I'm not used to Muggles asking me questions," Charley said after a moment.  
"I'm not asking Mr Weasley. Why did Ramsey Arn leave the village?" Charley stiffened again and looked at Tony, who had turned his head away and continued to drink.

The silence in the room continued, broken only by the infrasound coming from dragons in the distance.  
Charley gave in and broke the silence. "He disagreed with some of us and was asked to leave."  
"Continue Mr Weasley."  
"That's it."  
"No, Mr Weasley, that is not all. What was the argument about?"  
Adam leant forward, trying to put as much pressure on Charley as he could. He was unsure of what he was about to say, perhaps worried about the ramifications.  
He took a deep breath. "He found out six months ago that the last family of Salamanders had been wiped out by an attack by Muggle weapons." He spat the word Muggle. "The species is now extinct. Ramsey spent many years living in desert conditions, studying them, keeping them safe."  
Adam looked at Tony and received a shrug. He looked back at Charley.  
"Salamanders are fire dragons." Continued Charley. "They live or at least lived near the mountain regions, between the Syria, Chad, and Niger borders. The Salamanders live in caves in the mountains, in exactly the same places that the local tribesman hide from whatever forces are attacking them at the current time. This has been going on for hundreds of years." Charley was getting into his stride, so Adam left him to carry on. "Forty years ago, the locals and the dragons had to contend with guided missiles and idiots with guns, which they could cope with, but now they have to contend with lethal computer-controlled drones that have no Muggle involvement at all, and they do not miss."

Charley sat back from the table, anger etched on his face.  
"What else aren't you happy about Mr Weasley?" Snapped Adam.  
"Surely your Auror here has filled you in on our little problems." He looked at Tony.  
"The problems you are ascertaining too are nothing to do with these investigations," Tony said keeping his voice low.  
"If Ramsey Arn is involved, then the problems are everything to do with your investigation," Charley spoke angrily, spitting the words out. "Has my brother told you everything, or are you running around in the dark?"  
"How about you explain it, so a simple Muggle like me, can understand?"  
Charley sat forwards and stared at Adam. "Our problem is Muggles."  
"Stop." Said Tony standing up. "That's all for now, we'll talk later."  
Charley stood his entire body tense. "So you do know. Shouldn't you tell him?" He pointed at Adam. A crack made Adam jump, and Charley had gone.

"I wish you lot would stop doing that," Said Adam. "What aren't you telling me?"  
"The problem he is talking about has nothing to do with the case."  
"He doesn't seem to think so and you've been saying that since we met."  
"I know."  
"How much danger are we in due to this little problem?"  
"I would say it depends on how desperate the wizards or Muggles are."  
"Someone, probably a wizard, has killed six people, for a reason you know and I don't. That does not make me a happy man."  
"I don't know any reason; I have ideas, but nothing certain."

Adam looked down, trying to work out what he was missing as the door opened, and Tony stepped out into the early morning light and stormed off.

Adam gave him some time and then broach the subject again until another round of infrasound shook the floor. He realised that he didn't want to be alone out here and ran after him.


	9. The Autopsies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dead examined and Arn is found.

Adam caught up with Tony in the middle of the town square; he was staring at the floor, deep in thought. Adam waited, feeling more than a little unhappy that he had been left to walk back alone, surrounded, he assumed, by dragons.  
“The Muggles in parts of your world,” said Tony still looking at the ground, “do not understand restraint the way we do in the Wizarding world.”  
“Would you like to explain it so I can understand?”   
“No,” He paused again marshalling his thoughts, “but I’m going to try, anyway. The wizarding community keeps itself small, we don’t have the number of children your families have. One of the biggest families in the last hundred years is the Weasley’s. It’s rare nowadays for families to have more than one or two children.” He paused for a moment, again gathering his thoughts before carrying on. “The wizarding families do not think it is right that certain areas of the Muggle world, Muggles are breeding out of hand and are considered by some as being little more than a disease, and should be treated as such.”  
“I assume that Ramsey is one of these because of the Salamander extinction?”  
“I don’t know if he is one, or he agrees, I seriously don’t think this has anything to do with the case.”  
Silence descended as both thought through the problems.  
“I assume wizard and Muggle governments have never come to blows before,” Adam said after a moment.  
“Many times.”  
“No, I’m sure I would have heard of it,” Adam said, shocked for a moment.  
“No you wouldn’t, that’s what we Auror’s do, we cover up, and clean problems caused by wizards and Muggles coming to blows as it were.”  
“Clean up?” He asked incredulously. Tony did not reply, just smiled ruefully at him.  
Tony continued. “What I do know, is that Muggle governments, not just in England, are pushing the boundaries that were set up hundreds of years ago. They believe their technology is now potent enough to put the Wizards in their place.”  
“One day of this world and I know that the Muggles wouldn’t stand a chance.”  
“You’re a Muggle.”   
“So are your parents.” Replied Adam, this made Tony smile.  
He walked over to a huge log and sat down on the smooth surface caused by countless visitors. “I’ve not been briefed on the Muggle problem by the Ministry, but, this problem is something that is talked about a lot, in school, during my Auror training, and in the pub, it’s a common topic of conversation.”  
“How bad is this problem?” Adam asked as he made himself comfortable on the log.  
“You read the news don’t you?”   
Adam thought about it for a while, now from a new perspective and found he did not like the answers he was getting; he liked the probable outcome even less.  
“Where would this Ramsey Arn be now?” He asked changing the subject.  
“If he’s on the run, then he will avoid most of the Wizarding communities. Few people would shield a rogue wizard these days.”  
“Is he on the run?” Adam asked.  
“No, I don’t think so.”  
“Then he could be anywhere without a wand.” Tony shrugged after a moment. “Let’s assume for now,” continued Adam, “that he is hiding in the Muggle world somewhere, where he wouldn’t need a wand.”  
“Still doesn’t help us find him.”  
“Want to bet.” Tony looked around at Adam and smiled. “Can we get a photo of him?” Tony’s smile widened.  
“Why do you need a photo?”  
“My world is covered with cameras, most are linked to police databases, add the police computer AI and you have little chance of hiding anywhere these days.”   
Tony stood. “Wait here. I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”  
He expected him to disappear and was surprised when he marched off across the green towards the inn.  
Adam enjoyed the early morning sunshine and total peace and quiet, not even birdsong broke the silence, which for a moment, confused him, until he remembered what was lurking in the surrounding countryside.   
Tony came back from the pub with a piece of paper in his hand, which he gave to Adam. He was happy he was not carrying any more beers as he was already feeling light headed.  
“That was quick.”  
“We have our methods.” Tony replied sitting down.  
Adam took his notebook and used it to take a picture of the paper, swiped the screen several times. Then he spoke Ramsey Arn’s name in full and spelt it out phonetically, before slipping it back into his pocket.  
“Done, if he’s been anywhere near a camera, then the system will alert us.” Adam’s tablet beeped. He pulled it out and looked at it for a moment before looking at Tony. “Ramsey Arn is at the Yard, under sedation in the infirmary.” Tony’s jaw dropped in surprise. “He was found this morning unconscious in a side street off the Charring Cross Road, identity unknown but the photograph matches.”  
“Hells teeth that was quick,” Tony exclaimed. “Near the Leaky Cauldron where the wand was found,” He said standing up. “We’d better get to him before he wakes up.”   
Adam barely had the chance to stand before Tony grabbed his arm and the now familiar, but less intense squeezing sensation swept over him.

They were in an alley near to the Yards main entrance, the one Tony liked to use, as there seemed to be no cameras trained on this point, he hoped. Adam had grabbed the wall to stop himself falling over.   
Once Adam felt well enough, the two of them walked the short distance to the Yard. Once through the metal barriers and into the station, Adam went up to the wall display and asked questions of the duty Sergeant. Tony watched his shoulders slump, making him assume the worst and wondering if Arn had done any damage.   
Adam wandered back over. “He’s had a bad blow to the head and is under observation for now.”  
“Which means?” Tony asked happy Arn was still here.  
“We have to wait. But, I still want to know who sent the wand. It’s as if they knew Arn would was and they wanted him found there.”  
“I’ll contact the Ministry and find out who it was.”  
“I feel that someone is leading us and I don’t like that feeling.”  
Tony nodded before turning away and walking as far from the desk Sergeant as possible while beckoning Adam to follow him.  
“I need to get near him and negate his abilities, just in case he wakes up and panics. Are his belongings being kept somewhere?”  
“They’ll be down in evidence lockup. I’ll get them sent up to the office. Follow me down to the infirmary first, while we’re down there, we can see the autopsies of our dead people. Hopefully, we can then interview Arn afterwards.”  
Suddenly it was Tony’s turn to feel sick, as he realised what happens in autopsies.

***

Five minutes of walking along endless corridors and countless stairways, nodding and talking to many police, uniformed and not, they entered one of the medical wings, which contained many departments, to do with death in one way or another. They had stopped outside the ward that Arn occupied while Adam held the door open. He pointed his wand into the room at Arn’s bed, keeping out of sight of any cameras. Seconds later, he dropped the wand, slipped it back up his sleeve, and allowed Adam to close the door.  
“Done?” Adam asked beside him. Tony nodded and again followed Adam down yet another corridor to the lifts.  
Several floors later, and even more introductions, the doors opened into a small foyer. Adam pulled out his tablet and showed it to the receptionist. She sent them through to another room; this one was a large carpeted office with a flat table on it. A dark-suited man stood up from a small desk in the corner of the room and smiled as they walked in.  
“Am I to assume you are DCI’s Croft and Garrett?”  
“We are.” Said Adam holding his notebook out again, knowing this would be the next question. Tony did likewise.  
“Good, I’m Doctor Coulson, let’s get on.” He said briskly.  
Tony moved back towards the door, not wanting to watch what was about to happen.  
The doctor touched a button on the side of the table, the area above it flickered for a moment and the haggard naked body of Argonia Huxley stared sightlessly up at them. Tony stepped back, feeling very relieved, also hoping the magic in his body did not stop this amazing machine from working. He had braced himself, expecting to see and watch the dead body of Argonia Huxley being cut up, not an amazingly detailed hologram.  
“No idea what she died off, can’t find a mark on her.” The doctor said, shaking his head as he spoke. “No distinguishing marks, scars or tattoos. I think she was beyond healthy for her age, which could be anywhere between thirty and fifty. She was well fed and had no signs of any trauma. Strangely, no sign of inoculations or surgery either.” He looked at them both for a moment, allowing them to digest this news, which in his mind was important. “Even stranger still, her teeth are perfect in every detail. I’d assumed she’d had extensive dental treatment, which would allow identification, but X-ray’s show nothing of the sort.” Again, he paused for his audience. “Her heart has no sign of ageing, no cholesterol, no plaque on the artery walls.” The doctor paused and took a deep breath. “In other words, she is one hell of an enigma.”   
The doctor paused again, expecting Adam or Tony to supply some information. When neither of them did, he continued. “There is one strange detail.” He pointed at the shoulder of the woman. Both looked and saw nothing.  
“When the hospital morgue receives any dead body, regardless of how they died, they carry out an electronic autopsy, which you know.” He stopped again and looked at them, getting no response he continued again. “The body is scanned at many wavelengths. It gives us the ability to see right through the body in different ways. This gets us around any religious objections that may crop up. We have little need to take a knife to a dead body these days, unless we find something that needs further investigation, like this.” He paused again while he picked up a clipboard-sized tablet, sliding his fingers across the surface. The view of the woman changed as he zoomed in on the shoulder area. The doctor slid his finger over the screen again, this time the colours started to change until a tracery of fine lines filled the display, emanating from a spot where the doctor had pointed. They could see them twisting their way through the body. Some lines twisted down to the heart, before stopping, others travelled up the neck and into the brain.  
“I cut a section of skin and flesh out of the body at the entry point, if that’s what it is.” He did something else to the tablet, and the body disappeared, replaced with what they assumed was the cross-section of the entry point. “This is a section of the skin through the mark, enlarged many times. The cells along this line have exploded, a little like what happens when someone is electrocuted.”  
“So it’s a possible electrocution then?” Adam asked.  
The doctor shook his head. “I said it reminds me of an electrocution, but I’ve never seen anything like this before.” Again, he looked at them both, his body language telling Adam that more was still to come. “That is until about three weeks ago. Now I have seen it four times.”  
“Four times?” Tony asked.  
“Yes. Sarah Mitchell.” The section of Huxley’s skin flickered and was replaced by Mitchell, looking like she did in the picture, her face lumpy, and misshapen. “This one had extensive dental history and had surgery as a child. She had a body of someone in his thirties, slightly overweight, exactly as I would expect. Nothing unusual, except for two things, one, how she died. The entry point or whatever is on her back.” The hologram rotated. “As you can see, the mark travels through the body in the same way.” He took a deep breath before continuing, his eyes flicking towards both officers while he spoke.   
“Any reason for this, an allergic reaction perhaps?” Adam asked and received a withering look in return.  
“Absolutely no idea.” It was obvious to both of them that the doctor was not happy. “Sarah Allinson, nothing else to add except for what we’re calling the entry point, was in her calf.” The hologram flickered again as the naked body of Allinson stared vacantly upwards. The doctor looked at them both again before moving across the room to sit down in front of his desk. “Again we have the same facial and eye problem.” He sat down, shaking his head. “I have sent files to a few experts in the field, no names of course. No one has any idea what has caused this.”  
He picked up the tablet again and touched it a few times.  
“This morning I received the autopsy files for Marc Ewan, the Welsh medical examiner sent them over.” He paused as he made Ewan’s body appear, before looking at the two men. “Took me ages to find the mark, this time it was in the head.” He gestured to the front of his head. “Nothing as far as I can tell shows that the mark had travelled down through the body to the heart; all the damage is in the head. Is this some new weapon I’ve never seen before?”  
“I have no idea,” Adam replied.   
“A hypothesis, perhaps?”  
“No.” Tony and Adam said together. “Any idea how long it took them to die?” Adam continued, not giving the doctor chance to ask another question.   
“From what I can tell, death was damn near instantaneous.”  
“Thank you, doctor,” Adam said after a pause. “Someone mentioned stomach contents?”  
“Yes. Sarah Mitchell and Robin Allinson had not eaten or drank anything for several days before their deaths; they were severely dehydrated. Both had an unknown liquid in their stomachs imbibed within an hour of death. It wasn’t poisonous, but the reports show that the liquid contained many unknown chemicals and plant substances. None of which has been identified as yet.”  
“Marc Ewan had eaten the same evening he had died,” Adam said, and the doctor nodded.  
“Yes, and the unknown woman had eaten normally, several hours before her death. Neither she nor Ewan had this liquid in them.”  
Adam and Tony looked at each other and smiled.  
“Thank you, doctor,” Tony said as they turned towards the door.  
“That’s it, what are you not telling me?” The doctor asked, anger and confusion in his voice.  
“Yes, that’s it. I’m sorry; we can’t tell you anything else. Please send the information on all four autopsies to mine and DCI Garrett’s notebooks and then lock the information. Please send us both the lock details.”  
“I will go over your head Inspector. I have to report to the coroner.” The doctor said, obviously not happy.  
“That’s your prerogative doctor, but it won’t do you any good. The information we have is on a need to know basis only.” Adam said this as the door closed behind him.  
“And he doesn’t need to know, hey Tony?”   
“I quite agree. Can you keep him out of it?”  
“That’s up to the commissioner.”

They walked back to the office without talking, both deep in thought.  
“Do you know what the mark was?” Adam asked as he closed the door to the office before walking over to the board.  
“No, but I have to assume that it was caused by the killing curse.” He said sitting down in front of the large screen.  
“How effective is this curse?”   
“The Avarda Kevarda curse is absolutely deadly if it strikes its victim.”  
“One hundred percent kill rate, that’s ridiculous. How close do you have to be?”  
“Ninety-nine percent, it failed once, but there was some sort of mitigating reasons for that. As for distance, as long as you can see the victim, you can hit them.”  
“Does it take long to do the curse?”  
He thought for a moment. “When we learn wand magic, we speak the words out loud. By the time we leave school, we should be able to use the wand silently. Literally, point and shoot.”  
“What other magical delights do you have?” Adam asked with a resigned air, taking a seat opposite Tony.  
“We do have laws,” Tony replied with feeling, Adams’ eyebrows lifted quizzically. “We have three curse’s that will get the user a lifetime in Azkaban, that’s our own prison. The first you have seen the effects of, the killing curse, the second is Crucio, which tortures the victim. Believe me, the pain is indescribable. The third is the Imperious curse; it allows the wizard or witch to control the person like a puppet.”  
“How do you know this Crucio is painful?” Tony looked at him for a moment.  
“The teaching methods in Durmstrang are a little extreme compared to other schools. The teacher used the spell on us as a warning.”  
“Did it work?” Adam asked, more than a little shocked.  
“Yes, very much so,” Tony replied with feeling. “It’s something you never forget.”  
Adam changed the subject as he was sure Tony found this upsetting. “Can we be sure that Argonia Huxley killed Ewan Marc?” Adam asked, moving from his seat to the opposite corner of the desk.  
“Pretty much so. Remember the things Pinne showed us?” He shook his head. “Sorry, you can’t see the images he produced, but he confirmed that Huxley used the Crucio curse on Mitchell and the killing curse on Ewan.” He paused while Adam wrote this information down on his tablet. “Also, Ferhe used Crucio on Huxley at some time.” He thought for a moment.  
“Have your methods unearthed who killed the others?”  
“No.” He pulled the wands out of his pocket. “Huxley’s wand”. He placed it on the table. “This is Ferhe’s wand.” He handed it to Adam. “And this one is Arn’s wand.” He handed this one to Adam as well.  
“This other information came from Pinne?”  
“Yes, and I’ve confirmed it.”  
“Can we assume that either Huxley or Ferhe killed the others?”  
“No. We have to accept that there are others involved.”  
“Which could be a blessing.”  
“How?”  
“The more people involved the more chance of a mistake or a loose tongue. One more thing,” Adam continued, “Mrs Jones in Llandudno said the woman she saw was very young and pretty.” Tony held up his hand to stop Adam.  
“Magic, she could have been using any number of spells or potions to make herself look different and younger.”  
“Could our friend Arn, be doing the same thing?”  
“Unlikely. It’s very much a vanity thing and Ramsey doesn’t seem the type.”  
Adam’s phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket.  
“Mr Arn is waiting for us on the third floor, interview room two.” They both stood. “I’ll put Huxley’s wand back into evidence, what do you want to do with the other two?” Asked Adam.  
“Put them in your pocket for now.”


	10. Interview

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An interview with an unhappy wizard.

Adam sat down in the chair opposite a strange whiskered little old man. A large white bandage wrapped around his head, made his hair stand out wildly. The man had a grin on his face while he looked around the small interview room. His eyes kept stopping on the camera mounted high on the wall opposite him.  
“Are you going to tell me your name?” He asked.  
“Guess.” He replied, the smile reappeared on his weathered face, which was irritating Adam.   
“You like to play games Mr Arn?” Asked Adam, he smiled back at the man as his comment had the desired effect and removed the annoying smug grin.  
“My name is of no importance to the likes of you.” He spoke well, obviously well educated, in opposition to the way he looked.  
“Your name is Ramsey Arn.” He snapped.  
“I need to leave now,” Arn said standing up. “You have some personal items of mine and I want them now.”  
“This is a police station, you’re in custody, and we make the demands, not the other way round, so sit down.” The last three words were spoken with authority and much louder.  
“I want my belongings.” Arn’s voice was marginally higher now. Adam shook his head as the man stood over him. “You don’t want to cross me; you have no idea what you’re dealing with. Where are my belongings?” He shouted the last word.  
“Your belongings will be returned to you upon completion of this interview, unless we don’t like what we hear, so sit down.” He kept his voice even and business-like.  
Arm shook his head, anger showing on his face. “I’ll get them myself.” His eyes closed for a moment, then they sprang open. The anger had left his face. His eyes closed again.  
“Something wrong, Mr Arn.” He looked around the room frantically before slumping down into the seat. “Are we going to have a conversation, Mr Arn?” Adam continued. He turned away from Adam without saying a word. “Who hit you over the head, Mr Arn?” That got a reaction, his head span towards Adam, anger bubbling under the surface. He turned away again and stared at the wall. “Cat got your tongue, Mr Arn?” Adam leant across the desk during the silence. “I know a cure for that.” He whispered.  
Arn watched him through the corner of his eye, as he stood up, walked over to the door and opened it. Tony was standing outside the door, blocking any escape route. He walked in and they sat down opposite Arn.  
“Let me introduce you to my partner, Auror Garrett.”  
“Get him away from me.” He shouted, leaping up from the chair and backing into the corner of the room. Adam had expected some reaction, but not this.   
“He seems to know what you are Tony.” Adam kept his voice to a conversational tone.  
“Hello Ramsey, I hear you’re having problems talking, can I help you loosen your tongue,” Tony said.   
“Traitor.” Spat Arn.  
“You’ll have to explain that comment, Ramsey?” Tony said.  
He kept looking at him, and then his eyes would slip to Adam and back while he decided what to do next. He closed his eyes again for a moment.  
“I’ve already made sure you can’t do that and no you can’t have your wand back. As a matter of interest Ramsey, whose wand do you have because we have a wand that belongs to you?”  
His eyes flicked back and forth between the two men in front of him.  
“Yes, Ramsey, he knows all about our kind. Now please sit down and explain that traitor comment.”  
“I knew a mudblood like you would side with the likes of a Muggle.” Spat Arn, Adam’s head twitched from Arn to Tony at the word mudblood.  
“Your father’s a Muggle you Pratt,” Tony shouted angrily, the venom in his voice made him flinch. Adam guessed that the word mudblood was something to do with wizards with Muggle parents.  
“You know what I mean, you’re mixing with them.” He gestured at Adam. Tony stared at him and kept quiet. “You can’t keep me here.” He said nervously.  
“I can, and when we are finished, I will transfer you to Azkaban,” Tony said.  
“You can’t send me there,” the colour drained from his face, “I’ve done nothing wrong.” He said, panic in his voice.   
“I am an Auror and I have the Ministry’s full backing and if I want you in Azkaban, then that is where you will go. Now, who hit you?”  
He seemed to relax slightly. “No idea never heard or saw anyone.” Adam could see he was finally complying.  
“Now explain what happened in Lykkeligdal.” He asked.  
“What are you talking about?”  
“Come on Ramsey, we know you were there, we know you had a falling out in Lykkeligdal village and you were asked to leave.”  
He sat back in the chair, crossed his arms, anger back in his bearing.  
Tony flicked his wrist and his wand appeared in his hand from up his sleeve. He raised his hand as Arm’s eyebrows did likewise.  
“You wouldn’t dare.” He said, staring at Tony, hatred etched across his face. “I’m a wizard.” He exclaimed.  
“So am I. Dicam veritatem.” Tony flicked the wand at Arn, who immediately rocked back in the chair and shook violently. Tony flicked his wand again, and the shaking stopped.   
“Bastard,” Arn yelled, now grey and looking even worse than before.  
“He’s been hexed.” He said to Adam, with a resigned voice.  
He flicked the wand again. “Occulta Sermonis.” This time Arn thumped back into the chair and groaned as if hit.  
“Ramsey, what were you doing in Lykkeligdal?” Tony’s voice had changed, deepened, and seemed charged. Adam stood up and stepped back behind Tony, more than a little afraid of what was going on in front of him. Ramsey groaned, his mouth opening and closing as if he was trying to speak, but unable, while his eyes rolled around refusing to keep still. Adam looked at Tony, who was frowning. He flicked the wand again and Arn sank down in the chair.  
Tony sat a little higher in the chair and pointed his wand at Ramsey. “Soluto Sermonetus.” Tony’s voice went lower and deeper and he spoke it almost like a command. Ramsey’s eyes flew open, and he became rigid, his body seemed to vibrate like a tuning fork.  
“Are you hurting him?” Adam asked, feeling very uncomfortable.  
“No, he’s fine. I might have to get nasty though. I recognise the hex, but it’s particularly deep and nasty.  
“Now nasty?”  
“If I use the wrong counter curse, the hex could force his heart to stop,” Tony paused for a moment, “or worse.”  
“Surely the spells you’re using are used all the time?” Tony’s head shot around and looked at Adam.  
“I learnt these at Durmstrang and I’ve not really used them outside a classroom before.”  
“Is it wise to carry on, here?” Adam gestured around the interview room.  
Tony said nothing but waved his wand and Ramsey’s body lost its rigidity. He took a deep breath of air.  
“Who hexed you, Ramsey?” He asked as his head came up.  
“Nobody has hexed me.” He looked weary and tired.  
“Ramsey you have been hexed, a deeply unpleasant one.” He waited for him to say anything. “ Ramsey I’m trying to help.”  
“What by, using your Auror tricks on me?” The strain was showing on his face.  
“That’s how I know you have been hexed.” Tony’s voice had changed again, softer, friendlier.  
Arn shook his head as colour came back to his face.  
“Did anyone come to see you in Lykkeligdal?” Ramsey shook his head, his eyes large with fear. “I can try something else Ramsey, but It’s not pleasant.”  
“Why would anyone care if you damage me, it would keep the ministry happy if I was out of the way?” He said wearily.  
“It wouldn’t make me or the detective here happy if I harmed you, especially considering where we are. Muggles and wizards have been murdered. I know you don’t care about Muggles, but murder is murder, whichever side you’re on and I don’t think you’re a murderer.”  
Ramsey looked at the two men, his head dropped in resignation.  
“I can’t stop you, can I.” He slipped his jacket off and draped it over the chair back. Adam noticed his bare arms, covered in old scars, and burn marks, some of which had been deep and nasty.  
“I’ll only use spells that won’t harm, OK,” Tony said, looking at Ramsey and then Adam.  
He stood up and walked to the doorway before he raised his wand yet again and pointed it at Ramsey.  
“Revelabis Perieratus.” The room seemed to go quiet and Adam could feel the hairs on the back of his neck lift, time seemed to stand still as a small bright silver light flicked out from the tip of his wand and connected with Ramsey’s head. His eyes bulged in their sockets and his body went rigid again. The bright line started to kink crookedly to left and then the right. Adam looked at the intense concentration on Tony’s face, sweat running from his forehead as he walked forward to the desk and leant over it towards Arn, whose eyes had closed, but the rigidity remained.  
Adam moved back to the door, looking up at the camera, wondering how he was going to explain all this.  
The twisting silver line stretching into Arn’s head, inexorably straightened out, until only a couple of small kinks remained. The light flickered out and Tony sat down and took a deep breath. He wiped his sweating brow as he slipped his wand back up his sleeve.  
“That’s the best I can do. Someone has really gone to town on this man’s mind.”  
Arn moaned and his eyes opened, his face was still an unpleasant grey. He looked at them both.  
“Ramsey,” Tony whispered. “Ramsey.” He said louder. The man moved a little. “Ramsey, who hexed you?”  
“A young girl. I was told to meet someone there for a job. I lost my job. I used to be a Drake Hanterare.” Tony and Adam looked at each other. “The little bitch.” He added with venom.  
“Ramsey, who were you meeting?”  
“Young girl, short blond hair, skinny little thing.”  
“Ramsey, who was she?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“Ramsey, where did you meet her?”  
“A Muggle industrial estate in London. Close to Hackney Wick Station.”  
Tony reached over the desk, touched Arn’s temple with the tip of his wand, and seemed to pull something from his head. He held the end of his wand over a small bottle, which Adam had not seen him produce. He stoppered the bottle and slipped it away.  
“Ramsey, why did you meet there?”  
“She lives there.” He replied, his answers seemed to become more lucid.  
“At the industrial estate?” Adam asked.   
“Yes. The buildings are empty, so nobody goes there.” Ramsey replied, staring at the floor.  
“What was the job?”  
Ramsey frowned. “I don’t know.” He said looking very confused.  
“What happened when you got to the industrial estate?”  
“I apparated to the Leaky Cauldron and walked to the address she had given me.”  
“You walked from the Cauldron to Hackney Wick. That’s a good two-hour walk.” Adam asked leaning forward. Arn nodded back. “You walked all that way?”  
“I like walking.” He replied. “I’ve always walked, it gives me time to think.”  
“OK,” Adam said not convinced. “What happened when you got to the Industrial Estate?”  
“She was waiting for me outside one of the larger buildings. It was daylight and sunlight was streaming through the broken windows near the roof. She led me inside and introduced me to some other people.”  
“Do you know their names?”  
“No, she said they were her friends. She knew what had happened to me.”  
“Do you mean the Salamander killings?” Adam prodded.  
Ramsey looked at Adam for the first time and his gaze seemed to clear.  
“Thank you for saying they were killed. Looking after them was my life. Finding the last eggs smashed and the mother dead in that cave was,” he stopped and looked down at the desk, “my heart was broken. I’ll never see another beautiful creature like that again.” Ramsey’s head dropped for a moment. “As for the question, she didn’t know about the Salamanders, but she knew I had lost my job and she knew my anger towards the people responsible for my predicament.”  
“The Muggles who had killed the dragons.”  
“She wasn’t interested in that, she was angry at Muggles, the way they bred, moving further and further into the wildernesses we keep hidden.” He went quiet.   
Adam realised that Ramsey was struggling, so he poured him a glass of water from the jug on the desk and allowed him time to get his mind in order.  
He emptied the glass and continued.  
“She ranted on for some time about the, her words, the atrocities being committed on a daily basis by Muggles, who cared for nothing in nature, or our world, which was being eroded day by day. She told me about her plans for a war to put the Muggles back where they belonged, to force them back to their special cities, giving our communities the room we need to expand and look after our world and the creatures that inhabit it.” He looked up at them both. “I questioned her ideas and disagreed with her plans. She stood up and pulled her wand out.” He looked at Tony. “What did she do?”  
“A refinement of the Imperious curse, I expect,” Tony said.  
“It’s illegal to do that,” Arn said looking shocked as Tony nodded at him.  
“Yes, it is, that’s why we want to get her.”  
“Mr Arn,” Adam spoke getting the man’s attention again. “How much of what this girl said, did you agree with?”  
Ramsey looked at Adam then Tony and back, obviously unsure.  
Tony stood up, scraping the chair as he did so. “I think we have all we need.” Adam remained in his seat and stared at Arn.  
“The Auror doesn’t want you to know does he?” Arn said after a moment. “Yes, I agree with the things she was saying, but not how she wants to do them.”  
“Please continue Mr Arn.”  
“No,” Tony interjected leaning across the table.  
“Yes,” Adam replied angrily looking into Tony’s eyes.  
“It’s not pertinent to the case.”  
“Tony, it is the case.”  
“What do you want to know?” Arn asked of Adam, Tony, chastised, moved across the room, and leant against the wall.  
“How do they intend to sort the Muggle problem?”  
“She was talking about a prophecy that mentions a Muggle war.”  
Adam looked at Tony, who became interested again and came back to the table.  
“What prophecy?” He asked.  
“I don’t know, she said the prophecy foretells a huge Muggle disaster.”  
“If that were true, then what is she trying to do?” Tony asked, retaking his seat.  
Arn turned towards them both. “She said we couldn’t wait for the war to start on its own, so we needed to help it along.”  
They both looked over at Tony.   
“It’s just talk, it’s always been talk. How could one girl make entire countries go to war?” He asked.  
“No it isn’t” Arn replied.  
Tony went to reply but stopped as Adam’s hand rose.  
“What do you mean?”  
“Over a hundred years ago a group tried to bring about,” he paused, looking for the right words, “a revolt in the American Ministry.” Adam looked at Tony who nodded. Just over forty years ago we had a minor war that included half the bloody planet for the same reason.”  
“How come we know nothing of these wars?” Adam asked looking at them both.  
“Because cleaners like him”, he pointed at Tony, “cover them up.”  
Tony’s wand moved and Arm fell quiet, his eyes clouded over and his head dropped down until it rested on the desk.  
“What did you do that for?”  
“I’ve just put him to sleep for the move to Azkaban.”  
“We haven’t finished talking to him?”  
“I’ve already explained and as I said most of it is just talk. What else did we need to know?”  
“Who hit him over the head?” Tony took the small phial he had filled and waved it at Adam.  
“What the fuck is that?”  
“Sorry Adam, I forgot you don’t know. These are his memories.” Adam’s jaw dropped open, and a frown appeared on his face. “We can look at is memories with a device, it’s a bit like your Evob. When we get the chance, we can go through the memories together; you’ll find it quite enlightening.”  
Adam nodded slowly. “Why are you taking him to prison?”  
“He’s been hexed and I want someone better than me to remove it completely.”  
“But why a prison and not St Mungo’s?”  
“Like this police station, Azkaban has its own hospital, which is run by St Mungo’s, but it’s secure.”  
Adam stood up and looked down at Tony, pointing his finger at him. “We still need to work on our communications, you and I.” Tony looked away for a moment.  
“I need to go to the ministry with him.” He looked over at Arn, who seemed to be asleep.  
“Tony, you can’t just magic him out of here, he’s been processed, if he disappears now, the rest of the force will start a manhunt.”   
“And that means?” Tony waited.  
“It means we have to use the official method and have him handed over. It takes a little effort.”  
“How do we do that?” Adam gestured for Tony to stand back as he touched the large screen which Tony had assumed was the wall. It sprang to life, showing a number of icons. He touched the phone symbol and a list of names scrolled down the screen. He touched the words ‘Custody Sergeant’ and the screen emitted a low warbling sound.  
After a moment, the screen cleared and a man’s face appeared. “Hello Adam, how can I help you?”   
“I have one Ramsey Arn in interview room 2, on the third floor. I need to have him processed ready for movement.”  
“So that’s his name. I need authorisation and the place he’s being taken too and is he dangerous?”  
Adam looked at Tony, who shook his head. “No danger. A car will do.”  
“Authorisation and documentation?”  
“Commissioner Nugent,” Adam replied, hoping that this would be enough.  
“Seriously?” The Sergeant said in surprise. “I’ll have to ask.”  
“Fine go ahead, I’ll wait.”  
The screen dimmed, a quiet regular beeping sounded around the room.  
“What’s happening now?” Asked Tony.  
“He’ll call the Commissioner and check. If what they told me when this first started, he should grant us permission without asking any questions or needing documentation.”  
“And if he doesn’t?”  
“He’ll be down here asking questions, which I do not have answers for, and neither do you.”  
The screen brightened, and the sergeant reappeared.  
“What the fuck are you involved in.” Exclaimed the Sergeant, a look of horror etched on his face.  
“Anything wrong Steve.” Adam smiled at the man knowing the commissioner had given the appropriate authorisation.  
“The Commissioner just said, ‘do whatever they want, no paperwork, no records, no talking and most importantly, no arguments’.”  
“Thank you, Steve,” Adam said, smiling at the man, who was still shaking his head.  
“The car will be ready in the garage in five minutes. He’s coming down to see you. Bye?” The screen blanked out.  
“Bollocks,” Exclaimed Adam.  
A new warbling sound came from the screen and a man’s face appeared.  
“Good afternoon, Commissioner,” Adam said to the screen. Tony was debating with himself whether he could touch the screen and see if he could stop it from working.  
“Morning Croft.” His head swivelled. “You must be Garrett?”  
“Yes, Commissioner, nice to meet you.”  
“Likewise. Croft, can you come and see me for a moment?” The screen blanked out immediately.  
“Doesn’t talk much does he?” Tony asked, surprised at the man’s abruptness.  
“Nature of the job, he’s in charge, live with it.”  
“I’ll get Ramsey down to the car park. I’ll meet you down there.” Tony said, raising his wand after bringing it out from where he had hidden it behind his back.  
“No magic, Tony. Can you get him to walk on his own?”  
“I’ll just use my wand.”  
“No, there are too many people around, plus there are cameras everywhere.” He pointed up at the one in the corner of the room.  
“I’ve already fixed them. Don’t worry, no one will see us, and if they do, they won’t remember it.”  
Adam stopped and looked back at Tony, who had a big grin on his face. Adam shook his head and left the room.

***

Adam knocked on the commissioner’s door, which opened, the commissioner doing the opening. The office, although large, seemed empty, containing nothing but a large screen covering one wall and a small desk with a chair on either side of it.  
“Come in, take a seat.” He said his voice friendly for a change, which put Adam on alert.  
Adam sat on the only chair this side of the desk as the door closed.  
“Couple of questions.” The commissioner said as he sat down. “I’ve had the PM’s undersecretary on, asking me what’s going  
on. Can you enlighten me in any way?” He asked a worried note to his voice.  
“We’ve been interrogating one of Mr Garrett’s people downstairs, but they want him.”  
“Understood.”  
Adam took a deep breath, knowing what was coming next. “Mr Garrett had details of another two murders, with a similar MO.”  
“Another two.” He exploded. “How do we not know of these other murders?”  
“One of them was in Sweden or Norway, the other was in their most secret building, which I have no idea where it is.”  
“Why weren’t we informed?”  
Adam raised his shoulders, saying nothing. The commissioner shook his head.  
“Is there anything I should know about before I call the Undersecretary back?”  
“There seems to be some sort of disagreement between certain elements or factions within Garratt’s organisation. I’m getting an idea, but it’s not fully formed as yet.”  
“What organisation does he belong to?”  
“I honestly do not know, Sir, I expect the PM knows, in fact, I’m sure he and his people know a great deal more than we do.”  
“What makes you think that?”  
“Garrett told me that the minister he works for regularly meets with the PM to tell him what to do.”  
There was a pause while he took this in before asking. “They tell the PM what to do?”  
“Come on Sir, you work in the same rarefied atmosphere, you know some of the things that go on behind closed doors.” The commissioner nodded. “I have a strange feeling that the minister that Garrett works for is the person who runs the show.”  
“If that’s true, then why do we have elections?”  
“If I could tell you what I have seen, you would understand.”  
“Why can’t you tell me?”  
Adam shrugged. “Because I’ve been asked not to and you wouldn’t believe me if I did tell you.” He realised that his comment was almost the same as the comment Tony had given him.  
“Try me.” He said, leaning across the desk, his voice had taken on a different tone. Adam thought for a moment.  
“The people Garrett is introducing me too, are of a level of danger way above anything I have ever faced before. I will not risk upsetting them by telling you at this time.”  
“We can provide you with protection.” He shot back, concern in his voice.  
“No, you could not.” Adam sat back shaking his head.  
“What the hell am I supposed to tell the PM’s undersecretary?”  
Adam thought to himself before replying. “Tell him we are making progress, using Tony Garrett’s unusual and gifted methods, in addition to the police’s usual methods.”  
“Do you honestly think that will placate him?”  
“Yes, I do, if you tell him it was me saying it.”  
Adam stood up and turned towards the door. “Anything else commissioner?” He asked.  
“Do you think you can solve the case?”  
Again, Adam thought for a moment, while he rubbed his forehead. “To your satisfaction, no. To the PM’s satisfaction, probably. To Garrett’s Ministerial friends, well, I have no idea what they actually want yet. However, this case could have big ramifications, if we do something wrong or upset the wrong people.”  
“What people?”  
“People with more power than even you could believe.” He pulled the door open. “Good day commissioner.”  
“Adam, should I be worried?” He asked as Adam stepped out of the door.  
He stopped and looked back. “I’m fucking terrified.” The commissioner opened his mouth to talk as he pulled the door closed, ending the conversation. He was expecting the commissioner to come after him, surprisingly he didn’t, which told him he knew more than he was letting on.


	11. The Moon Market

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam finally sees the world through the eyes of a Wizard.

Adam almost ran the whole way down to the basement, worried about Tony and Arn. He need not have. He looked around the underground car park, finding the two of them standing beside a large unmarked police car. The car park was empty between shifts and dark.  
“Are you sure you’ve sorted the cameras?” He asked staring at the vacant face of Arn.  
“Yes. I passed several people running around screaming that the cameras have stopped working over the whole building.”  
“What the hell did you do?”  
“I just turned them off. As soon as we’re out of here, they’ll come back on.”  
“What about the one in the interview room?”  
“Dealt with. There will be questions about why it was off.”  
“Questions like that I can deal with, questions about what went on in that interview room, I can’t.”  
Tony opened the rear door allowing Arn to sit down.  
“I assume this is our car, it pulled up here on its own.”  
“All police cars are self-driving where possible.” Adam opened the driver’s door and got in, with Tony going round to the other side.  
The central display unit on the dash was flashing a warning about authority. Adam tapped his tablet against the dashboard display, which switched from red to pale blue.  
He announced his address aloud. The car thanked him and moved to the exit, accelerating out of the car park, up the ramp and onto the main road, slotting into the other traffic that had already moved to allow them access.  
After a short drive, neither talking, they stopped outside the block of flats, where Adam lived. Tony headed inside with Ramsey following obediently behind while Adam instructed the car to park up and wait for them. The flat was the same as when they left it. Tony still checked every room with his wand before letting them in.  
The three of them stood together in the small living room.  
“I’ll be about ten minutes while I get him to Azkaban and then get back here,” Tony said turning towards Arn.  
“Don’t you want me to come with you?” Adam asked.  
“You’re not allowed in.”  
“Why?”  
“Azkaban is a place that nobody ever wants to visit and you being a Muggle, means you might not come out again.” He reached over and grabbed Arn’s arm and apparated, giving Adam no chance to ask any more questions.  
Adam used the time to make a drink, laughing at himself realising he would have to do it himself, the Muggle way.  
He placed the cups down on the table in the living room before dropping onto the settee, deep in thought. Tony appeared in front of him, dropping on the other settee. He looked at Tony for a moment, noticing his quietness and his paler than usual complexion.  
“Something bothering you.” He said, breaking the silence.  
“Azkaban. I’m not allowed in. I had to take him to a ministry building, they took him the rest of the way.” He picked up the drink Adam had made, taking a sip, and pulling a face. “What are we going to do now?” He asked, putting the coffee back down.  
“I recognise the Industrial estate from Arn’s description, so a visit might be in order. We can take the car?”  
“I can get us there quicker,” Tony replied.  
“Yes, you can, but I need time to think and recce the area before we go blundering in.”  
“Recce?”  
“Check for ways in and out, places to hide, places to watch from.”  
The drive to the industrial estate had been quick as the traffic was quieter than usual. The silent car slipped through the darkening streets with an almost indecent haste before pulling up outside Hackney Wick station. They stepped out, unseen, Adam telling the car to find somewhere to park until he called it back.  
“I know where they are.” Said Tony looking towards the railway line. Adam turned towards him and went quiet.  
“How do you know where they are?”  
“I can see the shield they’ve put up.”  
“What do you mean by shield?” Adam asked looking around for some sort of barricade.  
“They’ve put some form of hex up, which means they know when someone is getting too close, also it probably makes any Muggle decide to a head in a different direction.” Adam noticed that he had taken his wand out.  
“I take it you’re expecting trouble?” He asked, feeling a little unnerved.  
“I’m trying to put together some spells that will allow you to see what I can see for a short time, but, I’ve never done this before so.” He shrugged his shoulders and pointed the wand.  
Before Adam had a chance to protest, he felt a strange sensation flow over his body, almost like he was standing in front of a large fire, then a fan. It stopped and Adam gasped as he saw a glowing silver dome a few hundred meters away, above the top of the nearby building roofs. “It’s bloody huge.” He said to Tony, who was looking at him strangely.  
“Anything the matter?” He asked.  
“No, but I felt, for a moment, that something tried to stop me putting that spell on you.”  
“Is that unusual?”  
“I have no idea, I’ve never done it before. Anyway, the shields over there.” He replied pointing at something behind Adam.  
Adam pointed the other way. “What the hell is that then?” Tony turned and saw a second and larger silvery dome.  
“Shit.” He exclaimed as he moved to one side and pointed in another direction, where they could both see a third smaller silvery dome. “I think we may have found an entire community.”  
“That could make things a little difficult,” Adam replied.  
A few minutes walking and they arrived at the nearest dome, which glowed with a faint blue radiance, now they were closer to it. Adam did not break stride as he passed through it. Tony went to stop him, shrugged his shoulders and followed, knowing the element of surprise was now long gone, he also realised that the shield should have stopped Adam in his tracks. He wondered whether he had overdone the magic, he had just put on him, too late now he thought.  
They rounded a corner and found themselves in a busy marketplace, small glowing balls hung motionless at each overflowing stall, each a different colour, giving the area a very magical feel. Many people were animatedly walking and talking as they looked and bought items at the stalls.  
“Where the fuck are we?” He asked of Tony, who was striding forward to the nearest stall. He stopped in front of it beside several people, who were dressed in so many styles’ Adam gave in trying to pin them down. He looked down at the stalls produce and saw a whole manner of items, mostly unrecognisable. Tony took off at a fast walk, going from stall to stall, forcing Adam to follow in his wake. He was picking up items, then replacing them, stopping from time to time to ask questions, none of which made any sense to Adam.  
“Where are we?” He asked again when he stopped for a moment.  
“This is the Moon market.” He replied an excited gleam in his eyes until he saw the look on Adams’ face. “The market is supposedly a myth.”  
“I take it you didn’t believe this?”  
“No. At Hogwarts, it’s a myth and never discussed. At Durmstrang, this is the place to go for all the things you can’t buy through normal channels.”  
“Are you going to explain the normal channels?”  
He gestured to Adam to follow him to a nearby stall that had many people, all of which seemed to be haggling at the same time.  
“That plant, the tall one at the back?”  
Adam looked, his eyes getting larger yet again. “Do you mean the one that is moving?” He asked, not believing what his eyes were telling him.  
“Yes, that’s an Abrus Antagonist, the spines contain a poison that paralyses anything that brushes against it, human, or animal, works in seconds.”  
“Then what does it do?”  
“Nothing, it’s just a defensive measure.”  
“Why the hell would a plant have a defence like that?”  
“Depends on the plants and animals that live near it and could feed on it.”  
“And where would something like that live?”  
“I have no idea. The poison in the leaves is used in a great number of potions and cost a bloody fortune; annoyingly, the plant itself is illegal here in the UK.”  
“The poison’s not illegal?” Adam said sounding surprised.  
“No, I expect Pinne uses it in his wand making and would have a decent sized bottle in his store. The seeds are interesting and the reason for the ban, they are about the size of a pea and they are expelled at great speed, fast enough to kill if you’re in the way. Imagine the carnage if a Muggle got hold of one and planted it in his front garden.” Tony paused for breath before continuing. “The market is not supposed to happen in the UK, however, if you know the right people, you are told where the next market will be.” He looked at Adam, seeing he still had more questions and took pity on him. “The market is called the Moon market because it only used to happen on the first night of the full moon. Its location changes every time, hence you need an invitation, or you’d never find it unless you are very lucky and stumble into it like we just did.”  
“So I assume that all this is illegal to a degree?” He gestured around himself.  
“Illegal. I doubt there’s a single item for sale which is legal in the UK.”  
“What’s your plan of action?”  
“I’m going to find the guy who runs the show.”  
“What and then arrest him?”  
Tony stopped and looked at Adam. “No, I’m going to try to get an invitation to the next one.” He strode off into the crowd leaving Adam alone and a little apprehensive.  
Gazing at a stall that was full to bursting with an assortment of different sized cages, all of which contained something. The nearest small cage had a small plant that seemed to be breathing. A hand pushed him to one side.  
“Watch yourself, it’s about to spit in your face. You’ll be in Mungo’s for a week.”  
Adam looked at the man, dressed in an old brown caretaker’s overcoat.  
“What the hell is it?”  
“Didn’t you go to school?” The man eyed him suspiciously.  
“Yes, but not one you’d know.”  
The man moved away to serve a woman, who would have made Pinne seem small, she almost bent double to get her head under the stall’s cover. He watched the animated talk between them before the stallholder started taking leaves of several plants, placing them in a paper bag.  
Tony was suddenly standing beside him smiling. The stallholder and the tall women’s heads had turned and were looking at Tony in a very unfriendly way.  
“The next one is in South America, so that’s no use, but at the end of next month, it’s being held just outside Lykkeligdal.”  
“You got an invite then?”  
“Yes and something else. The second large dome,” he pointed towards the station, “is another part of the market, taverns, food stores, and the like. The third smaller dome is nothing to do with the market, in fact, someone has been warning shoppers off.”  
“I assume that’s where we’re going to next then.” It was clear that Tony’s current loyalties were being questioned as he looked at Adam then around at the market wistfully, before taking a deep breath.  
“I offered to take a look at the other site, that’s how I got the invite. This way.” He said before striding off in the direction of the third dome and out of the market.  
“It’s only a few weeks away,” Adam said catching up before stopping again.  
Tony stopped and walked back. “The Moon Market used to happen every full moon, but the planet’s a big place, so now there’s a market almost every week. The next one is called the Wine Moon market.”  
“Is the market really that important?”  
“If you knew what you can get here.”  
“Can you take me to the next one?” Adam asked.  
“No problem.” In the dim light, he could see the smile on Tony’s face.  
As they got closer to the smaller dome, they could see a milky blue radiance. Adam though it look different to the one they had passed earlier. He took the lead down the dimly lit street, the evening sky darkened further by low grey clouds. They stopped at the edge of the dome, and Tony waved his wand, which formed a large semi-circle forming an arch in the shield which allowed them both to enter, unobserved, he hoped.  
They passed broken down doors and smashed windows, the walls covered by many layers of spray painted tags. Litter piled in every corner, dumped by mindless idiots and blown by the wind. The whole area had an air of long neglect. There were no lights coming from any of the windows, but Adam’s years of experience told him that someone was watching them.  
He looked back at Tony, tapped his ear and gestured for him to walk closer to the walls, rather than down the middle of the street. He obliged, hugging the wall while looking upwards.  
Tony jumped as a quiet beep sounded in his ear. “Tony, get your head down, we're being watched.” Adams’ voice came from the earpiece he still had in his ear, the first time he had used it.  
A noise from above Adam, made him freeze, his arm raised up, with the palm out.  
“There’s someone above me.” Came from Tony’s earpiece.  
Tony dropped down and started looking at the house. He was standing next to a doorway, the doors missing; litter piled up inside, a deep unpleasant acrid smell told him what the locals used it for. He slipped inside, the street lights some distance away, reflecting off the low clouds provided a dim light, allowing him to negotiate the room to the stairway. He climbed, taking care in the dim light, slipping into the room that overlooked the street.  
“Where are you?” Adams urgent request seemed loud in his ear.  
“I’m in the house opposite, on the first floor.” He whispered into the air, hoping the tiny microphone could hear his whispered voice.  
Adams’ voice came back. “Good, look at the roof; I think I hear someone walking over the tiles.”  
He looked out of the window and saw Adam creeping towards the door he was near too. He scanned the windows and roof opposite as he slipped his wand out of his sleeve. He whispered Homenum Revelio under his breath, brandishing his wand towards the buildings. A muffled shout came from the building, followed by a bright flash and a scream, sharply cut off. Tony watched Adam pass through the door and out of sight. Seconds later, Adam came back out of the door back first, before landing in the street; a figure came out, frontwards and running. Tony’s wand moved again, Immobulus, the figure grunted before crashing to the floor. Adam crawled to one side, clutching his side, obviously hurt, a constant stream of curses, most Tony had not heard before, were being relayed into his ear. Movement caught his eye on the rooftop opposite, someone’s head and shoulders on view. He was about to use his wand when he realised if he froze the person on the roof, he would probably fall to his death. The man on the roof rose up, crossed over the apex, down the side, and looked down on Adam. Tony realised the person had his wand drawn.  
Immobulus, thought Adam, the man on the roof jerked for a moment before looking at Tony, then there came a sharp crack and the roof was empty. Tony fled back from the window, moving into the darkness where he could see the whole room and the top of the stairs and waited.  
He didn’t wait long, a figure apparated onto the top of the stairs, looking at the window where Tony was standing. Tony whispered, Incarcerous then, Locomotor Mortis. The man grunted and slumped forward, before twisting and turning towards Tony, a flash of sparks smashed into the wall above his head. He returned with flippendo, the figure crashed back into the wall and slid to the floor. The man groaned and moved. Tony repeated the incantation, the man slammed into the wall again, harder this time. He slid to one side and lay still.  
He moved across the room, keeping low until he was next to the unconscious man. He whispered Incarcerous, this time the spell worked, he checked out the small body of the person to make sure they were not going anywhere and finding out it was a woman. He pulled her hat off and saw she had short blond hair. Smiling to himself, he ran down the stairs without tripping in the dark, and then outside crossing the street to Adam, who had not moved. Something was warning him they were still being watched. He touched Adams arm, his head spun around and looked up at him.  
“The bastard stabbed me, luckily it’s not deep, my coat took the impact. Is it safe to stand up?” Adam’s voice echoed in his head as he was hearing it from Adam and through the earpiece.  
“No. Stay down,” Tony replied.  
A loud crack came from above them, immediately followed by another. Tony ran back into the building and up the stairs, finding the immobilised woman had gone. A yell came from outside in the street, making Tony reverse his run back down the stairs. A bright flash lit up the street, followed by yet another crack. An anguished cry came from outside, repeated in his earpiece. Tony rushed out into the street, Adam was laying down and unmoving.  
He groaned as Tony put his hand on his shoulder, breathing a sigh, knowing he was not dead.  
Walked up the street, wand at the ready, only to realise the first person he had caught was also missing. He flicked his wand down the street and yelled in anger. The deserted street erupted in fire, rubbish was thrown into the air, as burning fragments.  
Adam was sitting up looking along the street in amazement, as the flames died back, small pieces of black soot floated down to the ground. He felt quite relieved not to be on the end of the magic coming from Tony’s wand.  
“Bastard used his wand on me, felt like I was on fire for a moment, then something burnt around my neck.” Tony knelt down. “I never even took my gun out of my pocket.” He exclaimed.  
Tony clasped Adams’ arm and a moment later, they were in the kitchen of Grimmauld Place.  
Adam slumped onto the long bench that ran the length of the huge kitchen table while Tony opened the fridge and started rummaging through the small bottles.  
“Here, drink this.” He said, handing over a small bottle. “Then rub this on the burn marks on your neck.” He placed a second small bottle on the table in front of Adam. He held them both and looked at Tony.  
“One replenishes blood loss, the other clears burns. How deep is the knife wound?”  
Adam lifted his shirt and looked at the thin red line across his stomach.  
“Minor flesh wound, a little bloody.”  
Tony went back to the fridge and pulled another bottle out, this one a little larger, with a dropper. He pushed Adam back and dripped a little of the clear liquid on the wound and watched it stop bleeding and start to close until it disappeared.  
“That’s not a knife wound,” Tony said, watching the wound close. “That was a spell and a nasty one at that.”  
After putting the bottle back in the fridge, he sat down and used his wand to pick up the charred necklace and slowly rotating it around in mid-air.  
“Where the hell did you get this?” He asked, staring fascinatedly at the object.  
“The wandmaker, Pinne, gave it me when you first went to that foreign place.”  
“He saved your life.”  
“What the hell was I hit with?”  
“It’s wasn’t the killing curse. I think he tried to burn you alive.”  
“I think we may have upset someone, several someones’s.”  
Tony slumped heavily onto the bench opposite Adam and put his head in his hands.  
“Thanks for saving me back there. I was totally out of my depth.” Adam said quietly.  
“I was out of my depth as well; they made a bloody fool out of me tonight.”  
Adam looked surprised. “You seemed to know what you were doing. You went into the opposite building, thinking ahead. I’ve seen very experienced officers not handle themselves under fire as well as you did tonight.”  
“This is really my first job.” He said looking straight at Adam. “Why have they put me on such a dangerous job, with a Muggle? I’m nowhere near skilled enough for work like this. I’m out of my depth.”  
Adam waited for a moment. “What are you saying?”  
“I think I was put on this case, to fail.”  
“Prove them wrong,” Adam said with finality as he slipped his shirt back on.  
Tony took a deep breath and waved his wand at the table. Two large glasses of beer appeared.  
“If you’re right in what you’re saying.” Adam continued as he picked up his drink. “Then there is corruption within your ministry, at a very highest level.”  
“Then who do I trust?” Tony Implored.  
“No one. Keep the information to ourselves and seed a little confusion in those you’re reporting to. I’ve done that many times.”  
“How can I do that?”  
“From what I can see, in the last few days, you have told people where you’re going, or you use a method that can be monitored, so whoever is pulling the strings is ready for you.” Tony nodded. “Make sure you tell people you’re going somewhere, but go somewhere else.”  
“But all the travel methods can be monitored.”  
“We have a car. Do you monitor our transport systems?” Adam paused for a moment. “In fact, the best thing we can do is tell everyone, at different times, that you’re going somewhere different.” Adam smiled. “The important thing then is to be somewhere else.”  
“Doesn’t that get confusing?”  
“If it’s confusing for you, imagine how confused your enemy will be.”  
“Is this what you do as a policeman?” Tony asked taking a drink.  
“I do what I need to do. Tony nodded. “I had no idea what an Auror was, but I realise now, you’re a sort of magical policeman, but you don’t seem to be a detective.” Tony Smiled. “I have no doubt that your training will have been exemplary and you’re a good Auror, the problem is, you rely on your magic to give you the answers. In other words, you’re doing what they expect. It’s time to turn the tables somehow.”  
Tony had shown Adam his room and the crime board that had been set up. A big grin had appeared on Adam’s face as he studied it.  
“When were you going to tell me about these two?” He tapped on two pictures.  
Tony smiled and stood next to Adam. “Hedgecock was found in a closet in the Ministry, the door was magically locked from the inside, and she had been killed by an unknown curse.”  
“Someone apparated in, did the deed and apparated out?”  
“No, apparition within the Ministry is not allowed.”  
“Does that mean it can’t be done?”  
“Yes.” Adam looked at him.  
“Are you sure?”  
“No, I’ll check.”  
“Good. Have you spoken to her family?”  
“She wasn’t married and her partner has since disappeared.”  
“Her partner has disappeared and somehow the Ministry thinks this is somehow involved in our murders?” He nodded. “Have her work friends been interviewed?”  
“I’ll check.”  
“Who found Hedgecock and have they been interviewed?”  
“I’ll check.”  
“Good, we need to find her partner as a matter of urgency, just in case he is another victim, or.” He left the sentence unfinished. “Next.”  
Tony ignored him, took a large piece of parchment out, along with an ornate pen and a bottle of ink. He wrote quickly and neatly, all the things Adam had mentioned. He turned to Adam when he had finished.  
“Ninian Ferhe, as you know was killed in his bed in Torkel. Again an unknown spell was used.”  
“I thought it was by that avado thing?”  
“Adarva Cadarva, probably.” He took the parchment and added more.  
“Family?”  
“None.  
“Friends?”  
“Many, you’ve met Charley Weasley. Most of Likkligdal was friends with him, for many years.”  
“Is that it, has anyone been interviewed as yet?”  
“No.” Adam nodded as Tony added this to the list.  
“What have your people done to investigate Ferhe and Hedgecock’s deaths so far?” He asked, Tony happy that he said people rather than him.  
Freya took that moment to come in from her evening flight and sat on Tony’s’ shoulder getting the attention she thought she rightly deserved. He watched Tony roll up the parchment and attach it to her leg.  
“You do realise this is basic police work, talk to family, talk to friends and workmates.”  
“I’m beginning to get it.” He replied as Freya left through the window.  
“Where’s your bird going?”  
“To the Ministry with that list of questions.”  
“Good, anything else about Ferhe I should know?”  
“He knew Argonia Huxley for many years.”  
“OK, I see the link for Ferhe, but Hedgecock?” He shook his head.  
“I agree. One more thing I need to do.” He said, picking up some more parchments.  
He looked at Tony as he placed the tip of his wand on his temple and pulled a fine silver thread from his head, he flicked it at the piece of parchment in his hand. The parchment slipped from his hand and pinned itself to the board.  
“This doesn’t hurt.” Tony’s wand touched the side of Adams’ head; again, the thread of silver left his head and ended up on the board as before. Adam realised the parchment contained a picture of the man who had hit him with the magic, twice.  
“Can you make another copy of the picture of the man who stabbed me? I’ll get it into the computer system and see if it will come up with a name and address.”  
Tony waved his wand and another piece of parchment flipped into the air. Adam reached up and caught it. The man’s face shown in black and white, moved to look at Adam. He yelped and dropped the parchment.  
“What’s wrong?” Asked Tony catching the parchment before it hit the floor.  
“The picture was moving.”  
“Sorry, Adam. I should have told you.” He walked up to the wall and pointed at some other pictures. Adam followed him and saw that most of the pictures were moving.  
He looked at him. “How come I didn’t see this earlier?”  
“The spell I put on you at the market, allows you to see most of the magic that’s around us. The pictures are magic, so now you can see them as I see them.” Tony said grinning.  
“No, when we stood here a moment ago, I didn’t see them moving, now I can’t see anything else. That is so strange.”  
Adam dropped the photograph on the table, pulled out his notebook, took a photo of it and the other picture Tony had produced. The second picture showed an elfin-faced blond short-haired girl.  
“I have a question?” Said Adam, Tony looked up. “Would that charm the wand maker gave me, have saved me from that killing curse?”  
“Not for a moment and from that range, he wouldn’t have missed.”  
“Next question. Why did he use a curse that the charm could stop?”  
“I don’t understand.”  
“The killers are not afraid of the ramifications of life in your prison, so why use a curse that can be stopped, when they could have killed me outright?”  
“They didn’t want you dead, just out the way, perhaps,” Tony replied and then after a moment. “I would guess they knew nothing of Pinne’s charm.”  
“Or it could also suggest Pinne is involved.”  
“Not necessarily. He could be acting in good faith.”  
“I think we need to have a chat with him again.”  
“As much as Pinne is a very gentle man, he wouldn’t take kindly to being woken at this hour.”  
“He’s probably in the Leaky Cauldron, a little worse for wear,” Adam said making Tony look at him.  
“He can put more of the local brew away quicker than you and still walk afterwards.”  
“Then I see no reason why we shouldn’t go and see him now,” Adam said starting to rise.  
“Not on your life, I need a few hours’ sleep and so do you after what happened tonight.”  
Adam sank back down. “You’re probably right and he’s not going anywhere.”  
“Do you want me to take you back to your flat? I only have access to my room.” Adam went to speak. “Hold on,” Tony said, leaping up and going to the living room.  
“Meninda.” He called gently into the empty room. A loud snap made him jump and the little grey man was standing beside him.  
“Good evening young master, how may I help?”  
“Do you have a spare room for my partner for the night?”  
“All rooms upstairs are currently occupied, however a small room at the rear of the house is available, with a small bathroom.”  
“Wonderful.”  
“Am I right in thinking your partner is the Muggle?” Tony nodded. “Meninda has not worked for Muggles before; does he know about house-elves?”  
“No, he doesn’t.”  
“I will make sure not to surprise him.”  
“Thank you Meninda and his name is Adam.”  
“The Muggles room will be ready in five minutes. I will make sure his clothes are clean, repaired, and ready for breakfast.”  
A loud snap signalled his departure before Tony could thank him or ask who was in all the occupied rooms.  
“He went back into the living room and found Adam deep in thought.  
“Are we ready to go?” He asked.  
“No need, I just checked the spare room at the back, past the kitchen. You can stay there for tonight. Leave your clothes on the floor outside your door. Someone will arrange for them to be cleaned and repaired ready for tomorrow.”  
“You get looked after a far better than we do, or do you use magic?” He asked.  
“Magic yes, but not by me. I think this place is just for the time I’m on this case. When I get down to normal Auror work, I’ll have to find somewhere proper to live, if I can afford it.”


	12. Flourish and Blotts.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam tries to buy a book.

Adam had slept better than he had for some time. A light tapping noise had woken him. He found the little corridor empty save for a tray with a full breakfast, along with his clothes. Back in his room, he studied the coat and shirt, unable to find the damage or the repair. After eating the excellent breakfast, he made use of the little shower before joining Tony in his room, who was like himself, fed and ready to go. They went through the board making adjustments before Tony took them to the delights of Diagon Alley in full flow.   
This was Saturday and with the school year starting next month, it was full of wizards, witches, and Muggles all mingling together, with a huge number of children running amok. Adam had stopped open-mouthed when two young men swooped down out of the sky, people scurried out of their way, giving them room to land with no fuss or giving them any notice. They landed in the middle of the street, hooked their broomsticks over their shoulders, and walked away. Adam had watched this and not moved since. Tony stood beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder, making him look around.  
“I really thought you were taking the piss about flying on broomsticks.” Tony slapped his shoulder and laughed.  
The walk down the alley had to be completed at a snail’s pace, avoiding the more colourful small inhabitants until they came to the wandmakers shop. A group of young children were gawping in through the curved window.  
Tony pushed the door open, the small bell tinkled over the door announcing their arrival. Pinne nodded at them as he handed over a narrow paper-wrapped package to a young couple. Beside them was a young boy, hyped up with excitement as he watched the box go into the large basket his mother was carrying.  
Pinne said goodbye to the three people, who kept staring at Tony.  
“It must be a good day when you buy your son his first wand,” Tony said to the couple as they headed for the exit.  
“Yes, it is,” replied the man as they exited the shop.  
Pinne turned towards them. “Tony, Adam, good to see you. I assume you have another wand for me.”  
“Hello Pinne, what was wrong with them?” Asked Adam. “They weren’t thrilled when they saw us.”  
“She’s young, a Muggle, he’s also young and a wizard, and this is her first visit to Diagon Alley and they find an Auror staring at them.”  
Adam looked around at Tony, who was smiling. “How could they know you’re an Auror, you’re not dressed as one?”  
“People just seem to know and I’m used to it.” He shrugged his shoulders. “I imagine my parents were the same when they came here the first time.”  
“They were bloody terrified,” Pinne replied. “They were hanging onto Botilda Grimworthy’s every word.”  
Tony pulled the blackened charm necklace from his pocket and placed it on the table. Pinne picked it up and rubbed his fingers over the charred pieces of wood. Then he pulled his wand out and waved it over the charm.  
“You noticed that only the green pieces of wood are charred.” They both looked at it more carefully. “This tells me that the spell was a version of the Confringo curse. Someone’s good with a wand.”  
“What made you give this to Adam?”  
“I was asked to.”  
“What?” They said together.  
“When I went into the Ministry of Magic to look at that other wand, I was asked if I had anything that would keep a Muggle out of harm’s way.” Pinne looked straight at Adam while he was talking. “They said you could be in great danger.”  
“Who?” Adam asked.  
“I am under instructions to keep that to myself.”  
“I thought you met with a Minister?” Tony asked, suspicion creeping into his voice.  
“I was supposed to meet the Minister for Magic but he was unavailable.”  
“What did she look like?” Adam asked.  
“Small, to me anyway, lots of hair, red flowing dress, one of my favourite people,” Pinne replied.  
“Ring any bells for you?” He asked of Tony.  
“Yes”. He replied, adding nothing more.  
Pinne reached under the desk and pulled a large box out. He placed it on the counter before pulling a handful of charms out of the box. He let them all slip back except for one, which he passed to Adam.  
“I sort of make these for fun and to use up the various potions I make, it’s better than wasting them and pouring them down the drain.” He was talking to Tony rather than Adam. “I experiment using different charms, spells and potions trying to make the wands better.” He paused for a moment. “I also make quite a good profit on the ones I sell.”  
“Was the type of spell protection suggested?” Tony asked, staring at the charms.  
“No. The charms I make cover a multitude of hexes and spells. I have many Auror’s on my books.”  
“Auror’s?” Tony asked in surprise, his eyes lifting from the charm.  
Pinne smiled at Tony. “Didn’t you know that?”  
“No. Can you add me to your list of buyers?”  
Pinne smiled as he slipped another charm from the shoebox and held it out to Tony.  
“First one’s free.” He said as Tony took it.  
“Thanks. Let me know what they cost, I’ll get the Ministry to pay for a few and the ones Adam’s had.”  
Pinne waited while they both placed the new charms around their necks.

After thanking the wandmaker, they headed outside. The alley was, somehow more crowded than before.  
“If you want to carry on to the Leaky Cauldron, I’ll pop into the office, to ask some more awkward questions, and meet you there.”  
“Fine, ten minutes.”  
“Make it twenty.”  
“Why don’t you want me to meet her, is she pretty?” Colour appeared in Tony’s usually pale face, which made Adam smile. “Pinne seemed to think so.”  
“Edlyn and I go back a long way, not in a good way. She’s very hard to explain.”  
“You always have an excuse why you can’t explain things. You fancy her then.”  
Tony took a deep breath. “When I am with her, I am infatuated with her and I do stupid things, as soon as she goes away, I lose the infatuation.”   
Adam frowned. “Magic?” He asked, Tony nodded before walking up the alley, leaving Adam confused as usual.   
He wandered from shop to shop, trying to look past hordes of children all doing the same thing, until he came to Flourish and Blotts, the windows free of children. Assorted books were scattered all over the window display, all with unidentifiable comments and titles. Many seemed to be self-help guides; others were life stories, of whom Adam assumed were famous Wizards or Witches. The second window showed the current books that were required for the year ahead at Hogwarts, dependent upon which year they were in. One large book caught his eye, centred in the window, on a small lectern. “The title was The History of the Wizarding World. An idea came to Adam and he entered the shop and seemed to go back in time, back to what seemed the early eighteenth century. The shop smelled of old books reminding him of his childhood visits to libraries. Like bookshops, libraries had become extinct over the years because of technology. This bookshop was different in one respect, it looked as if a bomb had gone off, several years ago and nobody had bothered to tidy up and then messed the place up even further. Books filled the shelves right up to the ceiling. Whoever owned the place had run out of room, and had piled more books in great haphazard heaps, looking as if they were about to topple at any moment. Every available surface and most of the floor was also full.  
“Good morning. May I help?”  
Adam found himself staring at an old woman dressed like a Victorian, even down to the small hat, sat at a jaunty angle on her head. She came from behind an old wooden counter, which he had failed to see.  
“I assume you are looking for the Hogwarts section, what year are your children entering.” Her voice sounded like it should come from a much younger person.  
“No, I’m interested in the large book in the window, the history of.”  
“The Wizarding World.” She finished for him.  
“That’s the one.”  
“That’s not a standard school book.”  
“Really, may I look at it?”  
“No, but we have a copy in here.” She turned and went towards the back, with Adam in tow. He stepped between the piles of books, aware that a slip would send books cascading across the floor; she navigated through the narrow gaps with ease, her skirts brushing at the piles. He watched several piles start to topple, then stop and re-sit themselves. It occurred to him that magic was probably the reason everything stayed upright.  
The rear room was like a Victorian parlour, opposite to the room they had left. The floor covered with thick colourful rugs, polished lecterns sat against the walls, each with a single book open at random pages. He stopped at a large colourful book, the open pages, showing a detailed picture of a strange horse-like creature with wings and with what looked like a bird’s head.  
“Beautiful beast the Hippogryph,” the woman said, as she stood beside him, “amazing to see in the flesh, they have a few up at Hogwarts you know.”  
Adam almost choked for a moment, when the beast’s head turned toward him, the moving pictures still freaking him out. “It is indeed and I would love to see one.” He whispered to himself. She smiled as she moved off to the other side of the room and gestured at the book in front of her.  
“The price of this book is one hundred and thirty-five galleons. Expensive, yes, but, that includes a special decorative and protective dust cover lectern.” She gestured to the stand. “Packaging and special delivery anywhere in the world. The book has a search spell on it, which finds any position in the book, via the spoken word.”  
She reached out, touched the edge of the book, and said. “Wizards in the twenty-first century.” The book pages turned to the beginning. The page title said ‘2000 through to today’, written in what looked like perfect hand-drawn script. “Also, as you can see, this contains the whole of wizarding history, which is updated each year.”  
Adam thought for a moment. “I only have Muggle money.” She raised her hand to stop him talking. He felt his heart sink as she stormed across the room to a small bookcase set back in an alcove. She waved her hand and a large, thick tomb slid out from the shelf, dropping down onto the small table beside it. The pages turned themselves, stopping after a moment, allowing her to slide her finger down the page. She stopped around halfway down and turned towards him.  
“Would your name be Adam Croft by any chance?”  
“Yes, how do you know that?” He asked, stunned.  
“It seems that you already own a copy of this book and have done so for quite some time. Seems it was never delivered, no idea why though.” She smiled at him. “I’ll have it sent to your home right away.”  
Adams’ mouth dropped open as he tried to understand what she was saying.  
“How can I possibly own a copy of a magical book?” He asked, trying to make any sense of what he was hearing.  
“I have no knowledge of how you came by a copy, but you do have one, which was never delivered. Perhaps the Ministry has supplied it for you.” She spoke as this sort of thing happened all the time and perhaps it did in this world, but not in Adams.  
Adam leant forward and touched the surface. The index page annotated chronologically. He noted that the book was no more than ten pages cover to cover. He held the page as the woman had done.  
“Twentieth Century Wizards.” This page did not move, but the title page change before him and became Wizards and Witches of the Twentieth Century in the same handwritten script. Below this was a list of names, mostly foreign and unpronounceable.  
“The book is very literal in its search, the more accurate your question, the more accurate your replies will be.” She said, touching the book. “Twentieth Century English Witches and Wizards.” The list changed again and a shorter list, all of which were readable appeared below.  
Adam’s brain was in overload; thoughts ran through his mind faster than he could cope.  
“Can this be sent to my home?” He asked after a moment.  
“Already on its way, Wales isn’t difficult to find.”  
“You know where I live?” He asked, his voice rising.  
“No, our delivery service can find anyone’s home, even Muggles.” She smiled again, this time the smile had more warmth to it.  
“You know I’m a Muggle?” He asked still amazed.  
“Of course, the whole community knows about you, a Muggle, working for the ministry is a secret, so everyone knows about it.”  
“And I’ll still be allowed to have the book.”  
“I’ll let you into a little secret Mr Croft. That particular book is rarely sold to anyone in the Wizarding world, wizards and witches have to learn it at school.”  
Adam smiled at this comment. “If I took it home, would it still work?”  
“The magic is in the book, it works for whoever possesses it. When you receive it, you follow certain instructions that bind it to yourself and immediate family.”  
Adam thanked her and turned away as he heard the bell in the other room signal a new arrival, his mind swirling with ideas.  
“One thing Mr Croft.” She spoke, stopping him from walking away. “A book like this will take you the rest of your life to read, more importantly, as I said, at the beginning of each year it updates itself, and if I’m not mistaken, you will be mentioned in next year’s update.”  
Adam felt a cold chill slip down his spine, why he felt like that, he did not know.


	13. Professor Arcadius Darnell.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets an old friend.

Adam exited Flourish and Blotts, smiling to himself as he scanned the street. Down the road, opposite Knockturn Alley was Gringott’s Bank, a strange grey building, all pillars, leaning at odd angles, looking as if it could fall down at any moment.  
He walked a few feet before Tony stood beside him.  
“I thought you’d be in the Cauldron by now.” He said.  
“Long story, went into Flourish and Blotts.” Tony smiled. “I tried to buy a book.”  
“A good idea, which one?” Adam stopped and looked at him. “You’re allowed to buy a book you know. Which one?”  
“The history of the wizarding world.”  
“Good choice for someone in your position.” He replied.  
“Apparently I already own a copy of this book, which is being delivered to my home.” Tony frowned at this. “The woman in the shop said the Ministry probably bought it for me.”  
“Makes sense, I can’t think of any other way you could own a book like that.” They both turned and looked at the window of the bookshop. Inside they could see the woman, deep in conversation with an equally strangely dressed and very tall man; this one was dressed in a black billowing cloak, which draped around his ankles. His size was similar to Pinne, just not as wide, but wide enough to scare anyone coming towards him.  
“You have some huge wizards don’t you?” He asked.  
“That is an old professor of mine, scary, even now.”  
“I’m sure I saw him on the street outside the cafe where we first met,” Adam said as the man exited the shop. He looked over at them; in what Adam thought was very predatory. He strode across the alley, stopping in front of Tony.  
“Anthony Garrett, an Auror now?” He asked taking Tony’s small hand in his huge grip and shaking it like a dog would a wet rag.  
“Good to see you again Professor.”  
“Arcadius now, I’m no longer your professor.” His voice boomed as a huge grin, with too many teeth, lit his face up. “I have a question for you?”  
“Go on Professor, sorry Arcadius.”  
“Who’s this bloody upstart Muggle policeman, who’s causing all the trouble?”  
Without a moment’s hesitation, Tony replied. “Please meet my new partner, the upstart Muggle policeman, Adam Croft.”  
The man’s head swung towards him, his huge dark, predatory eyes fastening on Adams. He could almost feel his blood run cold.  
“I have always had the biggest of mouths, something to do with my nature, so I’m told.” He said looking abashed, but not much.  
“I’m getting used to people’s candour in this world, and I find it refreshing,” Adam said, taking the man’s proffered hand, and regretting it almost immediately. The man had a crushing grip, which made Adam wince, refusing to let it show on his face, like Tony his hand was shaken like an old rag for a moment.  
“Candour is something you get in this world by the bucketful, wouldn’t have it any other way.” He turned back to Tony. “Must be going, new term, and all that, work to be done.” With a smile he was gone, striding up the street like he owned the place. He stopped after a few paces and turned back.  
“When you get the chance, Mr Croft, look me up in that book of yours, apparently I make for good reading. Young Garrett knows who I am.”  
They watched the huge man until he turned into Knocturn Alley.  
“Who the hell was that guy?”  
“Professor Arcadius Darnell.”  
“Professor of what?”  
“Transfiguration.” Adam looked at Tony. “The ability to change one item into another.”  
“Lead into gold.”  
“Yes, but no. You can’t change lead into gold without a philosopher’s stone.”  
“Adam nodded not understanding a word of it.  
“He is also a Metamorphmagus.” Again, Adam stopped and turned towards Tony. “He can turn himself into almost any creature at will.”  
“You’re kidding?” Adam asked incredulously.  
“He has a proclivity for Bears.”  
“He can turn himself into a Bear?” Adam asked a frown on his face.  
“I was always late for lessons, the stairs used to change.”  
“Stairs used to change?”  
“Long story, forget it, read the book when you get the chance. I was always late for lessons and one day in my third year, near the beginning of term, I was late for one of his lessons. I burst into the classroom and found the rest of the class cowering against the far wall. I walked over and asked them what was wrong. Nobody said a word. Then I felt the hot breath on my neck.” Tony paused for a moment. “I looked around, straight into the chest of the biggest bear I have ever seen in my life, I say biggest, as I had never seen a bear in real life before. I was about five foot five then and the dog or bear sitting down was around six foot six, all muscles, and black shaggy hair. I almost wet myself.”  
“Were you ever late again?”  
“Once, but I chickened out and skipped the lesson.”  
“What happened to the rest of the lesson?”  
“He went behind a screen and walked out a man about ten seconds later. Then he did the lesson on Animages and Metamorphmagus.”  
“Animages?”  
“The ability to change into another creature.”  
“Sounds useful.”  
“An animagus is rare and has to be registered, a Metamorphmagus, I don’t think there is another one alive at the moment. Again, that book you brought will tell you.”  
“The book is in fucking Wales, or at least it will be.” Exclaimed Adam loudly, bringing a smile to Tony’s face.  
“The Leaky Cauldron is that way,” Tony said, pointing down the Alley.  
They walked on enjoying the bustle.  
“Did you have a word with your young lady?” Tony came to a halt.  
“She is no young lady, and she had no idea what I was talking about, and she hasn’t been to the ministry for a couple of days.”  
“Do you believe her?”  
“I have no reason not to. Whoever gave Pinne that message was someone else. I would like to know who though.” Tony said heading down the small alleyway leading to the Cauldrons entrance.

As they arrived at the bar, the man behind the counter smiled at them both as he placed two full pewter mugs on the bar.  
They walked over to the more secluded area of the room. The view of wizards, dressed in strange garb has already become old and Adam hardly noticed. Tony sat opposite Adam already knowing by his frown that something was bothering him.  
“That Professor animal guy.” He said after a few moments.  
“Arcadius.”  
“Yes. He asked who the Muggle policeman was.” Tony nodded. “He had just come out of a shop I had just been in, the woman in it, knew who I was.” Tony waited. “He knew who I was before he came out of the shop. Why?”  
“I have no idea why.”  
“Also, I am now certain that is the same person I saw watching us when we first met. You don’t forget someone that size.”  
“We move about in your world regularly.”  
“But, he was watching you, while you were standing outside the café. I was watching you before we were due to meet.”  
“I know.” He said calmly.  
“Really?” Tony grinned back at him.  
They both took a drink.  
“What did you get from the Ministry?”  
“Information on that parchment I sent last night.”  
“That was quick.”  
“Apparently, many interviews were carried out, but nobody told me. Hedgecock’s work friends who were interviewed, all said her boyfriend was a little possessive and very much an underling in the magic department.”  
“What does that mean?”  
“He was poor at magic, while Hedgecock was quite accomplished.”  
“I assume that being better at magic means a better paying job or a higher position?”  
“Not always, but in this case yes. She ran her own department and he worked for her.”  
“Who found her?”  
“Three people found her in another department. They were trying to get something out of a little-used store cupboard, which was magically locked. They blasted the door open in the end and found her.”  
“Were they all interviewed?”  
“Yes.”  
“How long was she dead, before being found?”  
“She died the day before.”  
“So, a falling out, perhaps, that ended tragically. Do they have any idea where he is?”  
“No. He was last seen in here the day she was found, after that nothing.”  
“So, he was seen the day she died and has now disappeared. I think this one should be handed back with a note, telling them to find the boyfriend as a matter of urgency.”  
“I agree.” Tony sat back after emptying his drink. “Ferhe’s death seems to be very different. He and Huxley were good friends. Her father died when she was young, his family were friends with the Huxley’s and he helped her out, often. Nobody has a bad word for him.. He was known for his good deeds and most people who needed advice went to him.”  
“Were all his friends and associates interviewed?”  
“No. Torkel is under another ministry, so we can’t go in and interview people without permission.”  
“What about local government, or Auror’s, haven’t they done any checking?”  
“That’s being checked as we talk.”  
“At least we are moving forward. Now you can see the need for a team in a complex murder inquiry. These interviews should have been checked and the information collated.”  
“That’s why I have two other Auror’s going through the interviews, making sure nothing has been missed.”  
“We have another problem,” Adam said as he put his empty tankard on the table.  
“Only one more,” Tony said with a resigned air.  
“The wand that was given to Pinne, may not have been the wand that was taken from the dead Wizard.”  
“But he knew the wands owner and the spells that had been used.”  
“But the wand could still be a red herring.” Adam took another drink, puzzled, certain he had already finished his drink.  
“Probably not, wand magic is a very exacting form of magic; it would be very difficult to fool an Auror, let alone someone like Pinne.” Tony shook his head.  
“How about this for a scenario,” Adam said getting into his stride. “Someone at the Ministry does not want us, you, to make any headway in solving the case, or perhaps, there is someone at the Ministry that wants the opposite and is trying to help.” Tony looked at him blankly. “It’s a possibility, but I think we’re only scratching the surface at the moment.”  
They drank in silence, thinking by themselves, looking for the obvious and the not so obvious.  
Adam looked up and said. “Is your ministry able to track your movements?”  
“We have an entire department devoted to keeping a close watch on the various modes of transport, from brooms to apparition. Yes,” Tony said, wondering where he was going, “Someone is watching us.”  
Adam waited for Tony to continue.  
He relented. “The Floo network is regulated and yes, we could be tracked if we used it. Brooms are also regulated, but not all movement can be followed, the same applies to apparating. Tony paused for a moment. “The knight bus is the only mode of transport that is monitored all the time.”  
“So we must be tracked somehow, a bug maybe?” It was Tony’s turn to look confused. “A device attached to us that monitors our location.”  
“It’s called a trace and it's used all the time, but someone would need to put the trace on us and the authority for that could only come from the Ministry.”  
“What about an item that could do the same thing?” He said pointing at his neck.  
“The charms, it’s possible.”  
“Hold on,” Said Adam. “What the hell is a night bus?”  
“A bus that travels at night,” Tony replied.  
Adam opened his mouth to ask another question when the door opened and Pinne blocked out the daylight for a moment before going to the bar. The man, ready for him, handed him a wrapped package the size of a loaf of bread.  
“Pinne, do you have a moment?” Called Adam across the room, causing several people to tut at the interruption.  
“I take it you’re not supposed to shout across the bar,” Adam whispered.  
“It’s not the done thing, we have other ways of attracting people.” Said Tony, as Pinne stood next to them.  
“Pinne, your charms.” Asked Adam.  
“Yes.” He dropped into the seat next to them, the floor shaking for a moment.  
“Do they have a trace on them?”  
“No.”  
“Would it be possible to put one on them?”  
“No, tracing is something I build them to avoid. Why do you ask that?”  
“We think someone is watching our movements.”  
A big grin appeared on Pinne’s face as he leant across the table. “The wizarding world is full of watchers. It is very difficult to do anything that is a secret.”  
“Some person or persons are doing pretty bad things in a society that is being watched.”  
“That would say to me, that they are either very clever, or they have power. Neither bodes well.” Pinne stood up.  
“One more thing before you go,” asked Tony, “the girl at the Ministry who told you to give me the charm, was it Edlyn?”  
“No.” He replied without hesitation before Tony could utter her second name. “I know Miss Balsom well and I’m not telling you who she was, but I’ve often seen her guiding youngsters around the Alley here and I’m sure she was here yesterday. Good day gentlemen.” He walked away, still clutching his lunch.  
Tony finished his drink in one, placed the tankard on the table with a little force.  
“Seems someone else is looking after your best interests, I wonder who. Anyway, time for another visit to Torkel, I think.”


	14. Back to Lykkeligdal.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Interview of a witness, or maybe a suspect.

Back to Lykkeligdal.

The square in Lykkeligdal appeared around them both, making them squint in the bright sunlight after the relative dimness of the Leaky Cauldron. Adam took a deep breath as the wave of nausea passed.   
They crossed the creaky bridge over the small river and entered the inn, the man, hidden in the shadows, spoke.  
“Charley is having breakfast.” His hand came out of the gloom, pointing to a door opposite them.  
Walking through the door, ducking under the low beams, they saw Charley Weasley sitting on a large long bench, his fork halfway to his mouth loaded with food. He watched them as they walked over and sat on the bench opposite him.  
“Where’s your friend gone Mr Weasley?” Asked Adam.  
“What friend?” He said putting down the fork, his appetite gone. Adam pointed at the second half full plate, cutlery, and cup beside him. “She decided not to be around when she heard your voices in the foyer.”  
“So now we’re getting somewhere, who is she?” Adam leaning forward.  
“Why should I tell you anything?”  
“To save us the effort of going to the desk and checking with the owner,” Tony replied leaning forwards towards Charley, echoing Adam's move.  
“Elfrida Hedgecock.” He said with a resigned air.  
Adam and Tony looked at each other.  
“Charley, Elfrida Hedgecock’s dead body was found in a locked broom closet in the Ministry of Magic, a number of days ago.” A number of emotions ran across Charley’s face. “Now tell me who was here?”  
“She’s been here for about a month. Her husband was having an affair with a work colleague in the Ministry.” As he was speaking, Adam slipped out of the seat and left the room, Charley’s eye’s followed him.  
“Charley, it is not Elfrida, she is dead. Who is it?”  
“I’m not joking, she said she worked for the ministry and was having a break due to personal problems.”  
“How well did you know her?”  
“Not very well, we sometimes have a drink together in the evening and sometimes like today we had breakfast, everybody else is out with the Drakes.”  
“Where did you two go to during the day?”  
“We never went anywhere during the day. I was at work; she never left her room as far as I know, except for breakfast, dinner and sometimes a drink later on.”  
“Were you two an item?”  
“No.” Charley’s voice showed his indignation as he spoke.  
Adam came back into the room and re-seated himself.  
“The doorman says she signed in as Elfrida Hedgecock, four weeks ago. I have the key to her room if you want to search it.”  
Tony stood and smiled at Adam, taking the key from his hand.  
Adam looked down at Charley. “You finish your breakfast, don’t leave, we will be back to talk to you shortly.”  
“You can’t stop me going to work.”  
Adam leant over him menacingly.  
“Yes I bloody well can, do not make me come and find you, understood.” He turned away before Charley could speak following Tony out.  
He stopped in the foyer for a moment.  
“I am amazed how you threaten a wizard and have them do what you ask,” Tony said smiling. “I wish I could do that.”  
“It’s all in the delivery, if you believe it, they will believe it. Also, I’ve had many years of telling people what to do, and expecting it to be done without question.” He looked at Tony for a moment. “I’ve heard you speaking to people, and at times you sound like you mean it, you just need to work at it a bit more.”

Tony led the way up several floors on a twisted staircase which creaked underfoot. Then they walked down a long corridor which warped as you looked along its length. As they moved the floor groaned and sometimes seemed to move underfoot. Every long section of wall, seemed to have a large painting hung on it. Adam was certain he could see the characters moving in them, which he found quite unnerving. They stopped at a huge carved door, little different to the others, the carvings smoothed by hundreds of years of polishing, small holes from woodworm scattered over it. Tony unlocked the door and pushed it open. Inside they could see a huge old four-poster bed, festooned with red velvet curtains, roughly pushed open. The far wall opposite to the shuttered windows was the ubiquitous fireplace, the remains of a long-dead fire sat in a small grate. The room looked dark and foreboding as they looked around. At the foot of the bed was a huge chest.  
Tony pulled the window open and then pushed the shutter out, sunlight banishing the gloom. The room went from dark and dingy to bright and richly ornate, the deep colours on the walls and furnishings coming to life.  
“Why no paintings?” Adam asked, his head rotating around, trying to take everything in, looking for anything out of place.  
“The people in the paintings are dead, not voyeurs.” Adam shook his head, deciding not to pursue the comment, already having too much to assimilate.  
A small mirrored dressing table near the window caught Tony’s eye. The top covered with small bottles, all labelled, some still stoppered others open and empty. Tony picked each one up as Adam opened the trunk, finding it filled with clothes. He pulled them out, dropping them into two untidy piles.  
Adam broke the silence. “Bit of an oddity here.”  
“What’s that?” He asked, turning from the bottles.  
“Charley said it was a woman, why is there two sets of clothing, one male and one female, I think.”  
“You think?”  
“The guy’s in your world have a habit of wearing long gown things, so I’m not sure.”  
Tony walked over and looked. “The two sets of clothes would make sense.” He held up a small empty bottle. “This is a clever little potion we call Polyjuice.”  
“Is it nice to drink?”  
“Probably the vilest thing I’ve ever tasted.”  
“Then why drink it?”  
“Because of what it can do.” He went back to the dressing table, picked up a couple of full bottles, and slipped them in his pocket.  
“Are you going to tell me what they do?” Adam asked his hands on his hips.  
“They turn you into someone else, for a little while.” Tony realised by the blank expression on Adams face, that he needed to explain more. “Drink the potion and you become another person, for a little while.”  
“Like an Animagus?”  
“Yes, but no.”  
“Every time I ask a question, your reply is yes, but no?”  
“It is like being an Animagus, but only another human. You need something from the person you want to look like, in every detail, like blood, hair or fingernail cuttings. Add it to the potion and bob’s probably your aunt.”  
“Can you make it?”  
“I think most kids leaving school will have made it or at least tried.”  
“So whoever was with Charley this morning could be anybody. We already know Hedgecock was killed some time ago and according to the hotel, she’s been here for the last month?”  
“Not necessarily,” Tony said, heading across the room to the attached small bathroom. He picked up a hairbrush and pulled several long hairs from it. Pulling a small phial from his pocket, he slipped the hairs inside and sealed it.  
“We have this.” He said, pointing at the phials on the dresser. “Which we know work, and we have this.” He held up the phial with the hair inside. Adam looked at him quizzically. “We add this hair to the contents of one of these and we will turn into whoever it was.”  
“How long does this potion work for?” Adam asked, still not sure if he believed what Tony was telling him.  
“About an hour.”  
“That would explain why our Mr Weasley only see’s this person for breakfast, dinner or for a drink in the evening. Adam dropped the clothes back into the trunk. “Have we got time to see the room where Ninian Ferhn was found?”  
“This is the room.”  
“When did Ferhn die exactly?”  
“Five weeks ago.”  
“So Ferhn died in this room and they let the room out to our cross-dresser within a week?”  
“Sounds about right, finding somewhere to stay around here at this time of year is difficult, to say the least.”  
“Seems a little odd letting a room out that quick after a death?”  
“Considering the age of Torkel, I expect there have been several deaths in every room over the years. What about the flat in Soho, you said the flat was handed back as soon as forensics had finished?”  
“Good point, but this room has never seen a forensic expert.”  
“Auror’s would have checked the room over and found nothing out of the ordinary.” Adam stared at him. “OK, the Auror’s might not be as good as your forensics, but they checked for the important magic footprint.” Adam nodded in agreement.  
He was about to leave the room when he realised Tony hadn’t moved and was staring at him. He waited knowing he was about to ask a question.  
“When we get a chance, I need us to talk to someone of importance at the Ministry, I think we need to include Muggle forensics in our work.” Adam nodded in agreement.  
They checked the rest of the room out, finding nothing of importance, before stamping down the stairs, ignoring the ominous creaking and groaning. Tony dropped the key on the desk as they passed into the room that contained Charley, sitting where they had left him, his breakfast now eaten.  
They sat down opposite him again. Adam did his usual lean forward, staring him straight in the eyes. It was obvious he was uncomfortable with this level of scrutiny.  
“Mr Weasley.” Adam began. “How close were you to your friend?”  
“Not at all.” He noticed Adams’ eyebrows rise up. “Seriously, I only ever see her at odd times.”  
“Do you know what Polyjuice is Mr Weasley?  
He sat back and looked at Tony. “Is this guy for real?”  
“Adam, every wizard knows what Polyjuice is.”  
“Really.” He frowned for a moment. “When did you last make Polyjuice Mr Weasley?”  
“I’ve never made it, I have a brother who is probably an expert on things like Polyjuice, but I couldn’t, not without a lot of research and time to find the ingredients, even then I doubt whether it would work.”  
Adam looked at Tony again.  
“He’s right, it's very difficult to make, and that’s before you find all the ingredients you need. One other thing, polyjuice can be brought over the counter, in his brother’s shops.”  
“I know how to make a couple of potions for burns and scratches, but then I was never much of a potions maker,” Charley said as his voice dropped as he spoke.  
Adam thought for a moment, realising he was heading the wrong way and decided to change tack.  
“Your friend, she apparated out of here, do you know where she went?”  
“Elfrida or whatever her name is, got up, and walked out of that door.” He said, pointing at the far wall, which Adam assumed was the door to the kitchens.  
“Why didn’t she apparate?”  
“I have no idea,” Charley replied.  
“She didn’t want to be followed.” Tony Added.  
“Where could she go on foot around here?” Adam asked Charlie.  
“Around here, nowhere, I can’t think of a place more dangerous to wander around.”  
“If you were on foot, where could you go that was relatively safe?”  
“I’d stick to the West pathway, towards the shacks where the Hanterare’s spend their time,” Charley said without a moment’s hesitation. “To go in almost any other direction without knowing the area would be like committing suicide.”  
“Would she know about this?”  
“Yes, everyone is told about it when they arrive.”  
“We weren’t.” Said Tony, watching Charley shrug.  
“Can you take us up this West path?” Adam asked.  
“No.” Came the reply.  
“I’ll say that again. You will take us up the path.”  
“No. I have work that I cannot get away from, before that, I need some sleep, as I have been up all night. I can get someone else to show you the way.” His speech had speeded up.  
“What’s so important about your work that you can’t show us this path?” Adam’s interest piqued.  
“The drakes are getting ready to migrate south for the winter, can you imagine the panic if dragons suddenly appeared and started flying south over the UK or Europe?”  
“What do you do, carry them?” Adam replied, surprised.  
“No.” He said with an air of annoyance. “We fly with them and keep them hidden with magic.”  
“Seriously?”  
“Seriously, it can take more than two weeks to get to their summer breeding grounds. We have to keep them hidden from everything. When they stop for a break to rest, we have to make the area secure and keep Muggles away.” Adam looked at Tony before both of them looked back at Charley. “Can you imagine what would happen if they decided to stop in the middle of a major city because they are tired. We have to cajole them to fly to a better, more defensible position.”  
“Where do they fly too?” Asked Tony, as surprised by this news as Adam.  
“Depends on the breed, the one I will be with is a Norwegian Ridgeback, she’ll be heading for South America.”  
“How do you follow them?” Adam asked.  
“Broom.”  
Tony’s respect for Charley had gone up several notches in the last couple of minutes.  
“Isn’t that uncomfortable?” Adam asked.  
“Depends on how good your broom is. Also, dragons don’t care about the weather, in fact, they quite enjoy flying in the rain, keeps them cool.”  
“You do this every year?”  
“No, twice, remember they come back here for the summer. Generally, we stay with them all year round.”  
Adam dropped his eyes down onto his hands and thought for a moment.  
“Why don’t you use magic to keep them permanently invisible?”  
“Dragons are magical creatures, spells only work on them for short periods, literally hours in some cases, then they need replacing. What do you think the lifespan of a dragon would be without our help?” Neither of them had an answer. “Shall I get someone who can show you the path?” He stood up ready to leave.  
“Yes please, Mr Weasley,” Adam said as Tony nodded. “However, before you go, how well did you know Ninian Ferhn?”  
Charley sat down again, heavily, he almost seemed to deflate. “I first met him in Romania, where I went to work after leaving school. He showed me the ropes and we became very good friends.”  
“Any idea why anyone would want him dead Mr Weasley?”  
“Honestly, none at all. He was always ready with a quip and a funny story, usually about escaping from the jaws of rogue dragons. Everyone who met him liked him and most became his friend.”  
“Do you remember him meeting anyone in the time leading up to his death?”  
Charley looked upwards for a moment, Adam was watching carefully for any telltale signs that he was about to lie.  
“I saw him talking to a young blond girl once, not long before he was found. She was with Dulcey Woodrow, she’s a trainee Hanterare. She lives in one of the shacks.”  
“Is she available to talk to?” Adam asked, seeing that Charley was itching to get away.  
“She’s probably out with the Drakes or in the shacks. I’ll get someone to guide you up there.” He stood up and waited patiently for any more questions.  
“If we need to talk to you again, which we probably will, “He watched Charley’s shoulders drop slightly, “how will we contact you if you’re with a dragon travelling somewhere?”  
“He can find me anywhere.” He gestured at Tony. Adam looked around at him and received a nod.  
“Thank you, Mr Weasley, please send us the guide.”  
“Before I go, I have a question for you.” Adam nodded. “Did he explain the Muggle problem?”  
“Yes, he did.” He replied.  
“What did you think?” It was Adams turn to feel uncomfortable under the man’s intense gaze.  
“With my limited knowledge, the whole situation does not bode well for anyone.”  
“Good, at least you seem to have a decent grasp of the problem.” He nodded at Tony and snapped from view.  
Adam turned. “Did you know all that stuff about dragons?”  
“No. At school, you do a course each year on the care of magical animals, but I didn’t know they migrated.” Tony said shaking his head. “There’s no way I could ride a broom for weeks in all weathers.”


	15. Fight or Flight.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Heading into Drake territory, following a dead woman.

The door from the kitchen opened and a tall, very slim, striking young girl with an explosion of blond hair strode into the dining room.  
“Hi, I’m Drifa, are you Tony and Adam?” They both nodded. Her accent was strong, but her English excellent.  
As she walked across the room, the mass of hair seemed to bounce as she walked. Her hand went to Tony, along with a very welcome smile. Adam noticed she was just a little short of Tony’s height, but the hair added more. Tony smiled at her and sensibly kept his mouth shut. She turned to Adam with a set of deep blue eyes.  
“Unusual name Drifa.” He held her hand for a moment, feeling her firm grasp.  
“Not so unusual where I come from.”  
“Where’s that?”  
“About fifty kilometres from here.”  
“Are you a Drake, what’s the other word?”  
“A Drake Hanterare, yes, but I’m still very junior. It will be a couple of years yet before I follow the migration.”  
“Has Charley explained what we want you to do?”  
“Yes, get you dressed for the weather, which looks like it’s going to rain.” She handed them each a lightweight raincoat. “Then I’m to take you up the West path without getting you killed in the process.”  
“I’m glad he told you about not getting killed bit,” Adam said.  
“He didn’t.” She smiled as she turned and headed for the kitchen door. “I added that part.”  
They followed her through the doorway and into a huge kitchen, large ovens ranged along one wall, the heat from them radiating across the room. Adam stopped for a moment when a house-elf walked past him, carrying a huge set of clean pans on his head. Another one was washing more pans in a sink, standing on a long bench running almost the whole length of the kitchen. A number of questions leapt into his mind, but he decided that this was another chance to ignore what was going on and followed Drifa outside.

The ground underfoot was soft after an earlier shower, squelching a little as they walked to the rear of the shops and houses. She led the way down a side street and then back into the main street, passing the front of the shops, which were now open and crowded with people shopping, reminding Adam of Diagon Alley.  
Within minutes, they were back in the thick pine woods following the path they had taken before. The trees kept the keen wind pegged back and they started to sweat in the coats as they took another pathway away from the drakes, which made Adam feel a little better.  
After a short while, the trees thinned out, allowing them to see a rolling landscape dotted with huge trees. Among these were small wooden shacks. Adam tapped Drifa on the arm as she strode out towards the nearest, signalling for them both to come close, allowing him to whisper.  
“Are these shacks inhabited?” He asked in a whisper, looking at Tony and Drifa.  
“Possibly, the ones like Charley, who were watching last night, will be asleep by now; the rest will be out with the Drakes, watching for any migration start.”  
“I saw movement in the window of the smaller brown shack.” He said pointing across the field.  
“That’s an empty shack,” Drifa replied.  
“You two stop here, I’ll go get a closer look,” Tony said slipping his wand out ready.  
He slipped away, keeping to the tree line, until he came to a piece of open ground between the last tree and the side of the shack. Luckily, the wall of the shack he was heading for had no windows, so he was able to get to it unnoticed.  
Adam had completely ignored him, telling Drifa to stay where she was, he circled around while watching Tony creep along the wall to the corner of the shack. He watched him reach around the corner with this hand and tap on the door. He ducked back as a small hole blasted through the door, showering pieces of wood across the damp ground. Adam thought it was a gunshot without any gun sounds. They waited until the door to the shack opened a little, then a wand with a hand appeared, followed by an arm. Adam watched Tony’s hand move, the wand sticking out of the door flew up into the air, landing about three feet from the tree line where Adam stood. He dashed out, grabbed the wand, and ran back into cover as fast as he could, hiding behind a tree.  
Silence descended again on the scene, until the door that had closed, flew open. A figure, crouched about waist height flew out of the shack on a broomstick. Tony’s wand did the trick yet again, a bright flash erupted from the end, hitting the now fast-rising figure, square in the back. The figure shrieked and dropped like a stone, crashing through the lower branches of the trees, the broom continued on, also crashing into the trees. A loud thump signalled the figure hitting the ground. Tony came leaping across the snowy ground, oblivious to the second figure crouching inside the doorway of the shack. Adam dropped down, pulled the gun from his pocket in one fluid moment, took aim as the figure’s arm came out, pointing at Tony’s back. The bang from Adam’s gun made Tony fling himself to one side as a streak of green light shot through the space he had just vacated. The figure in the doorway crumpled forward onto the path, the wand rolled away to one side. Drifa sprinted out from the other side of the clearing, ignoring Tony and Adam’s comment to stay out the way. She headed straight to the prone figure outside the shack before dropping down, rolling the figure onto their back. She undid the coat, showing a crimson pool spreading across the chest of a young woman. Drifa’s wand moved over her, reducing the blood loss almost immediately to a slow seep. Another wand movement and the body rose and was directed back into the shack as Adam arrived. He followed them both inside.  
Tony had gotten over the shock of the gunfire quickly enough, ran over to the prone figure, lying very still in the snow, pieces of pine branches scattered around him. He checked for a pulse, finding one, he stood up and magically bound the man, making sure he could not get away if he woke up. He rolled him over and looked at the face. He was young and tanned, which meant he probably worked outdoors. What he was wearing was the big give away, a colourful blouse and a long full skirt. He decided not to check any further, leaving the man on the ground before heading to the shack. As he went to enter, he found a wand on the floor, which he picked up. Inside, he found Drifa leaning over the other person, with Adam holding the bloody shirt up, exposing a young girls stomach, which had a gaping hole in it, blood seeped out, pooling on the floor. Tony looked down at a young brunette, dressed in similar clothes to Drifa.  
“Good job we have to be good at first aid in this neck of the woods,” Drifa said giving Adam a foul look.  
“Will she survive?” Adam asked, staring at the wound, a jagged rip that had gone in at an angle stopped bleeding as he watched.  
“Yes. I’ve stopped the bleeding and healed the wound as far as I can, but I need to go and get a bottle of Dittany.” She said as she stood up, holding her closed hand out to Adam. “You need this.” She said gesturing. He held his hand under her’s as she dropped the misshapen remains of a bullet into it and disappeared.  
“What’s she gone to get?” Adam asked while looking at the remains in his hand.  
“A potion that regrows skin, I used it on your wound yesterday.”  
Adam held up the wand he now had and offered it to Tony. He raised his own wand and pointed it at the wand Adam was now holding, feeling quite unnerved. Tony’s lips moved, but no sound came out, but a small picture appeared showing several images that Adam could now see. He then took the wand he had picked up outside the shack and did the same. This time he saw a bright green flash of light.  
“Good shot Adam.” He said, handing the wands back to him.  
“What did that just tell you?”  
“She used the Avarda Kedava curse on me. I dived when I heard your shot and the curse just missed me.”  
“What happens now?”  
“As soon as we can move her, we take her to Azkaban. We’ll take her friend out there as well.”  
“Might it be a good idea to question them alone first?”  
Both the men jumped as Drifa reappeared, a small bottle clutched in her hand.  
“Do you know either of these two people?” Adam asked.  
“She’s Dulcey Woodrow,” Drifa replied frostily.  
She uncorked the small bottle and dropped a couple of small spots onto the raw open wound, which started to close up. Adam watched, amazement on his face as the wound stopped oozing and closed up completely, leaving a jagged red mark behind.  
Tony stepped outside for a few moments and returned with the man in tow, floating just above the ground. He got him inside and closed the door.  
“What do you know about her?” Tony asked Drifa.  
“I know he just tried to kill her.” She replied pointing at Adam.  
“For your information Drifa, the curse she aimed at me was the Avada Kedava curse. Adam saved my life, for which I am very thankful, Now what do you know about her?” He asked anger in his voice.  
“She works here, has done for a year now.” Neither man spoke, leaving Drifa to fill the void. “I think her home is in southern England.”  
“Do you know the area?” Adam asked.  
“I’ve no idea.”  
“Who is the man?”  
“No idea, never seen him before. Why’s he wearing a dress?”  
The girl, Dulcey, came round and groaned, as she tried to sit up. Drifa helped her.  
“Dulcey, what the hell were you doing?” Drifa asked as Tony placed a hand on her arm.  
“Drifa, can you leave us alone for a few minutes?” She did not move. “Wait outside; I’ll call you back when we’ve finished.” She looked menacingly at Adam, which is difficult to do when you have a halo of blond hair. She stood up and left the shack, closing the door behind her.  
“Can I call you Dulcey?” Adam asked, she said nothing. “What’s your full name?” He asked just as kindly, her eyes flicked from one man to the other.  
“You tell me who you are first?” She spat angrily.  
“Tony Garrett, Auror, working for the Ministry of Magic. I’m Detective Chief Inspector Adam Croft. I’m a Muggle policeman, also working for the Ministry of Magic.” Her eyes stayed with Adam.  
“Dulcia Woodrow, I’m a trainee Drake Hanterare.” She said begrudgingly.  
“Tell me about your male friend, Miss Elfrida Hedgecock.” Tony asked. Her eyes opened slightly wider at this comment. “Yes, we know he’s a man and not Elfrida.”  
“Dulcy, either you tell us what we need to know, or we can take you back to Azkaban. Their methods are nowhere near as pleasant as ours.” Tony said kindly, copying Adam.  
“You can’t take me to Azkaban. I’m not English.”  
“I’ll take you wherever the hell I feel like.”  
“International wizarding laws. I refuse to go to Azkaban and you can’t force me.”  
Adam reached across and tapped her on the forehead with the wand he had picked up outside. She visibly flinched, her eyes almost crossed while watching the tip of the wand.  
“Listen, Missy, you are in a serious amount of trouble, you used a banned spell on an Auror.” Adams’ voice was quiet and congenial. “That’s life in Azkaban is it not, regardless of where you come from?” He waited for a moment, allowing his comment to register. “So start talking, now.” The cosy voice dropped in the last word. She sagged slightly after a moment, her reserve now gone. “Before you start, try to realise that we know you come from England.”  
Tears started to well up in her eyes.  
Tony held out his hand to her, and then helped her to stand up and then down again onto the bench, the only item of furniture in the room.  
“His name is Urian Adair.”  
“Is he wanted for anything?” Adam asked, assuming the way she spoke meant that they should know who he was.  
“No, but my father is Clifford Woodrow, Minister in charge of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.”  
“Is everyone I meet related to a bloody minister?” Adam asked of Tony his voice giving away the anger he was feeling.  
“I’m not.” Tony replied turning to the girl. “Why would it be important that you are a Minister’s daughter?”  
“Our families do not get on. Urian’s family is from America and mine are English.”  
“What was that about international wizard law?” Adam asked, she seemed to sag down even further.  
“Why is your friend pretending to be a woman?” Adams voice had dropped back into friendly mode again.  
“I have a brother who is staying here for the summer, if he finds Urian, he will tell my father.”  
“Then what happens?”  
“My father will use his influence, my job will no longer be required, and I will have to go home.”  
They sat for a moment while Adam figured out the next question.  
“I take it you’re an item.” She looked at him the disdain clear on her face. “It must be very difficult to be intimate when your partner is the wrong sex?”  
“Shut up.” She said with some venom.  
“I’m new to all this magic stuff, but.”  
She interrupted him. “Shut up.”  
Adam looked at Tony who was smiling and looking out the window. An idea finally blossomed in Adam’s head.  
“Surely your father would be less upset if he knew about Urian being a boy rather than.” He left the rest of the sentence hanging.  
“Don’t you ever shut up?” She blushed furiously.  
“You’ve broken the law Missy, you don’t get the chance to tell people to shut up anymore.” He said angrily, tapping her on the forehead with the wand at each word.  
Tony leant across and whispered in Adam’s ear. “Sometimes people like to spice their lives up a little, Polyjuice can help.”  
“That had never crossed my mind.” He looked at the girl who was looking at the floor, her ears crimson.  
“I have one more question Dulcey.”  
She looked up at him, the red face starting to calm down, but the anger in her eyes remained.  
“If you were having a little fun with your boyfriend behind your fathers back, why would you use a killing curse which carries a lifetime in Azkaban?”  
Her eyes had gone wide again, her face going white as this news sunk in.  
He looked up at the Auror. “Tony, are you informed during your school years about the three unforgivable curses, isn’t that what you call them?” He nodded. “Do you want me to ask the question again Dulcey?”  
“No.” Her voice was quiet; she seemed to have shrunk into herself even more if that was possible.  
“Dulcey,” Tony said in his soft voice, “if you don’t answer the question here, you will be asked the same questions at the Ministry, during your trial and your father will not be able to help.”  
She closed her eyes and kept them closed.  
“I want to talk to my father.”  
“We’re way past talking to daddy now Missy,” Adam replied as he turned to Tony.  
“Do you have the magical equivalent of a solicitor?”  
“We have advocates who are assigned by the ministry.”  
“Then I suggest they are both kept somewhere safe until we question them properly.”  
Tony turned to the unconscious man, still sprawled on the floor where Tony had placed him. He reached down and clasped his wrist before reaching towards Dulcey who pulled back moving out of his reach.  
“I am not going anywhere.” She spat at Tony. Adam grabbed her wrist and pulled her across to Tony, who clasped her hand. She screamed in anger for a moment as Tony apparated. The door swung open and Drifa came hurtling through, colliding with Adam.  
“I heard a scream.” She looked confusedly around the room.  
“Tony has taken them into custody.”  
“Where’s he taken them?” She demanded.  
“Azkaban.”  
“He can’t, international wizarding laws.”  
Tony appeared back, this time standing up.  
“What have you done?” Drifa yelled at him, not giving him a chance to speak she apparated leaving them alone.  
“I assume you took them to Azkaban?” Asked Adam, Tony shrugged his shoulder and walked out of the shack.  
“I’m not allowed into Azkaban, so I dropped them off at a Ministry house like I did with Ramsey. She was screaming her bloody head off, so much so, one of the guards knocked her out. Both of them are now in the cells.”  
“What does International Wizarding Law mean?” Tony stopped and looked back at Adam. He opened his mouth to speak when a lone man appeared beside them both. He leaned on a large staff looking unfriendly. Adam was unsure, but he seemed to be dressed as a Russian soldier, his jacket had grey fur collars, with a matching fur hat and huge strong boots. Most of his face covered with a thick, wiry beard.  
“Anthony Garrett.” The man bellowed in a strong accent.  
“Professor Anatoli.” They walked towards each other, arm out wide, Adam chose this moment to start breathing again as he watched the two of them give each other bone crushing backslaps.  
Adam watched the two men talk animatedly for a couple of minutes. The two of them shook hands again, the older man apparated, leaving Tony to walk over to Drifa. After speaking to her, she too disappeared.  
“Who the hell was that?” He asked as Tony stopped in front of him.  
“My favourite professor. Seems I’ve been invited to the Durnstrang Christmas party.”  
“I thought you’d already been invited by that little guy we met the other day.”  
Tony paused for a moment, smiling. “So, now I have two parties to go to.”  
“What the hell did he teach?”  
“Defence against the dark arts.”  
“That sounds a little ominous, should I be worried?”  
Tony looked at him and decided not to answer. “Back to London.” He reached out to place his hand on Adams arm once again.


	16. Watching me, Watching you.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at Grimmauld Place they discuss the case and other problems.

Tony brought them back to Grimmauld Place. Both sitting in the lounge deep in thought, trying to assimilate the latest information.  
“Tony, we’re missing something?” Adam closed his eyes, the lack of sleep showing. “You need to explain what you’re hiding.”  
“I’m not hiding anything.”  
“Yes, you are.”  
A silence descended on the room.  
“I’ve not been told not to talk about our problems, but, that doesn’t mean I’m going to, I just don’t have the knowledge.”  
“I understand that, but let me tell you what I think.” Tony nodded, saying nothing. “I think there is a group of people, who are not happy with us Muggles.” Adam looked at Tony, who continued to stare at his mug. “I believe it might have something to do with the salamander dragons that are now extinct. I believe they are in direct defiance of your ministry, who, like you, know about them, but are, or were unwilling to do anything about them. Until now that is, people are starting to be murdered.”  
“Interesting.” Tony said still refusing to look at Adam.  
“I also think human expansion is having an effect on your people’s homes and businesses.”  
“I completely disagree with you on that point,” Tony said after a moment.  
“Explain?”   
“Extension spells and charms have no upper limit, as far as I know, you can make them as big or as permanent as you want.”  
“I don’t understand?”  
“It’s a complex-ish spell, I can make a bag bigger, to hold more stuff, a car to hold more people. I can make a house have more rooms.” Adam was giving him a strange look. “You have been inside an extension charm.”  
“I would have noticed.”  
“You’re inside an extension spell right now.” Adam looked around. “You can’t tell. The moon market was an extension spell.”  
“I really do not understand?” He replied.  
“As we turned the corner at the industrial estate we passed through the shield which was a purpose-built extension charm. The whole market was being held on the road between two buildings. This house has at least six floors, each floor has at least six large rooms, with a bathroom each. If you go outside, you’ll see four floors and you’d be lucky to get three rooms to a floor.”  
“But there were hundreds of stalls.” He said incredulously.  
“Precisely, you can’t have a market that size anywhere in the UK without everyone noticing. Both schools I went to were part extension charms, I think part of the Ministry is an extension charm.”  
“How big can these charms be?”  
“Theoretically, you could have an entire village in one.”   
“That sounds mad.”  
“But it makes your comment about the Wizarding world not having enough room, null and void.”   
Adam still had a confused face. “People live in them?” Tony nodded. “This is as mad as riding broomsticks,” Adam said with an air of resignation.  
“Forget extension spells, they’re confusing the issue.” Tony shook his head and took a deep resigned breath. “Back to your first comment, there is a general complaint amongst the wizarding communities that Muggles are overstepping their position. You see, some wizards and witches, consider Muggles to be inferior.”  
“Of that, I have no doubt,” Adam replied. “I assume that they are tired of sitting back watching us Muggles damage the planet and use the resources that are available.”  
“Not quite. The complaint is that the Muggles are spreading out and encroaching upon the lands we live in. However, we are finding it harder and harder to hide. Some of our people are of the opinion we should stand up and be counted.”  
“Are we not back to extension spells again?”  
“No, at least I don’t think so.”  
“I assume that Ramsey Arn is one of these people?”  
“Yes, he is, so was Hedgecock.”  
“But why were the Muggles killed? I’m almost sure they were working with the wizards.”  
“I agree, but, remember the three curses.”  
“You think they were being controlled and then killed when their usefulness was at an end.”  
“It seems likely. What I don’t understand is what they are using the Muggles for in the first place?”  
“Any ideas?”  
“None whatsoever. I can move around in your world with little problem, nobody gives us a second glance.”  
“Some people I’ve seen in the cauldron would look very out of place.”  
“Remember Professor Goranuk?”  
Adam thought for a moment. “Yes, the dwarf you met on the Charring Cross Road.”  
“The dwarf is, in fact, a goblin, on his way to Diagon Alley.” Adams’ shoulders seemed to slump. “We move around your world all the time. You never notice us.”  
“A goblin?” Tony nodded, smiling at Adam’s discomfort. “I need a drink and something to eat.”  
A loud crack echoed through the room and Tony started to laugh. To Adams right stood a little man, no bigger than a child. Adam noticed the similarity to the ones he had seen in Torkel’s kitchen. His skin was grey and dressed in a clean-knotted sheet. In his bony hands was a tray with two hot steaming drinks and a plateful of sandwiches. He placed them on the table, his eyes drifting towards Adam, trying to catch a glimpse without looking. “Would the young master require anything else?” His voice much deeper than the childlike voice Adam expected.  
“No thank you Meninda. Your time is your own.”  
“The young master is kind.” He bowed from the waist before a loud crack announced his departure.  
Adam was staring slack-mouthed at the empty spot.  
“House-Elf,” Tony said, taking one of the sandwiches from the plate. “Looks after the house for the Ministry.”  
“Goblins, Elves, what other surprises do you have in store for me?” He asked incredulously.  
“Remember the book.”  
“I don’t have the fucking book, do I? Is he the reason my clothes were clean, repaired and pressed?” Tony nodded. “Does everything get done for you?”  
“No, I’ve been given a room here for the duration of this investigation, I’ve been living in the Leaky Cauldron for a while, or I’m in my houseboat.”  
Adam sat up. “You kept that quiet. I’ve always wanted a houseboat where do you keep her moored?”  
“I keep her hidden away where nobody, I hope, knows.”  
“What’s she like?” Tony chuckled for a moment.  
“She’s old, belonged to my mother’s family, you know she’s Dutch.” Adam nodded. “It’s a Dutch barge called Aunt Matilda and she was about to be sold for scrap as she was old rotten and sinking. I had moved to Durmstrang to finish my schooling, which pleased my mother. I needed somewhere to live, as I didn’t particularly like the school accommodation, it’s underground, cold and damp. I told my parents what I wanted to do, which they didn’t believe I could do.”  
“What did you do?” Adam felt he needed to ask.  
“I took them to the yard in Amsterdam, by apparition, which you can imagine how well that went down. They both actually vomited.” Adam could see him smiling at the memory. “Amsterdam was where she was being kept.” Tony grinned at the memories. “Then I used magic to repair her, much to my parent’s disbelief. You see, I don’t think they believed I was a wizard, I think they thought I was becoming some kind of magician doing magic tricks.” Adam stopped with his sandwich halfway to his mouth; turning his head to look at Tony who was grinning back.   
“Go on, there’s more you aren’t telling me?”  
“I got into a lot of trouble that night.” He said ruefully. “You see, underage wizards are not allowed to do magic outside of school, and I used several powerful spells that night and it was noticed by a couple of Ministries.” Tony shook his head again. “Ministry people from the UK, Sweden, and Denmark suddenly appeared all around us, Hogwarts and Durmstrang professors turned up. Then they all argued over who should punish me. My father was arguing with the UK Ministers, my mother was arguing with the Swedish and Danish ministers, in their own language. The two professors said nothing; they stood to one side, admiring the boat which was still visible to everyone. The noise of the arguments woke everyone up nearby and people came out into the street to look at the amazing floating boat.”  
“I assume it was cleaned up?”  
“Yes. The Durmstrang professor, Anatoli, shouted at everyone until they stopped arguing, then he told me I should make my boat invisible, which I did a moment later, which was what I was about to do before everyone turned up. He then turned to me again and thanked me for doing my homework so well and professionally and he would see me the following week at school. He and the Hogwarts professors both apparated, leaving the Ministers to sort the mess out.”  
“How bad was the punishment?”  
“There was no punishment. I took my parents’ home, watched them both vomit again, or at least try to, then went back to the boat, and flew it up to the school. I never heard a word from any of the Ministries.”  
“Nothing?”  
“No. Anatoli has a lot of powerful friends in most Ministries.”  
“This Anatoli seems to be your guardian angel.”  
“It was him who helped me make the boat work properly. He was so impressed with what I had done that he helped me with the other adjustments. I kept the rear the same, it became my study, the rest of the barge was literally one room, so he showed me how to use an extension charms to make the rooms bigger and more of and permanent.” He looked at Adam’s confusion. “She now has two bedrooms, and kitchen and a toilet with a shower.” A big grin appeared on Tony’s face. “And she can still fly.” He added still grinning.  
Silence descended as Adam thought about what he was telling him. “Tony, does the Ministry know where the boat is?”  
“Probably not, I keep it quiet and I use spells. What are you thinking?”  
“You were given this house just before the case started?”  
“The day the case started.”  
“Is it being watched?”   
Tony looked at Adam for a moment, his eyes wide in alarm, he reached across and grabbed his arm.


	17. Aunt Matilda.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meet Aunt Matilda, the pair go into hiding, or do they?

Aunt Matilda.

 

Adam found himself in a semi-twilight, a thick grey cloud covered everything from horizon to horizon, a cold wind blowing at his back. He could hear Tony moving around beside him muttering under his breath, a light appeared above them and a rope ladder dropped to the floor. Adam looked up at the bottom of a large boat, at least ten meters long and around four wide, hanging impossibly above his head. In the dim orange light, Tony grinned at him as he grabbed the ladder.  
“Welcome to Aunt Matilda.” He hauled himself up the ladder.  
Adam followed him up with difficulty as the rope ladder swung around wildly. He found himself on a wooden deck, light spilling from an open doorway showed the wheelhouse, behind a covered windowed room stretching about three meters back. Beside the wheel were some stairs and a corridor leading off into the darkness. He stepped down the short flight of stairs and walked down the corridor, passing two doors on either side. He opened the first door and found a large neat well-appointed kitchen. Adams’ brain screamed that something was wrong, but refusing to explain what. He closed the door before opening the one opposite finding a shower, toilet, and basin. He closed the door and moved down to the next two doors.  
“No way.” He exclaimed as he looked into a large bedroom, complete with a four poster bed, wardrobes, bureaux and a large chest at the foot of the bed. He pulled the door closed, took a deep breath, and opened the last door, finding another bedroom, only this time the bed had only a bare mattress on it. Adam marched back to the wheelhouse and looked at Tony’s smiling face.  
“Extension charm, took me ages to get it right.”  
“You say they can be big enough for hundreds of people to live in?”  
“Yes.” He paused for a moment, allowing Adam time to catch up. “If I have guests, I can add more rooms as required.” Adam shook his head and walked into the rear room, which led off the wheelhouse. It was as he expected, a neat semi-circular room with windows all around, which would give an amazing view was it not so overcast. A large desk dominated the far end of the room, which looked out through the windows. Two small settees opposite each other with a small table between them filled the centre of the room. The space under the windows contained bookcases, filled with an assortment of strange-looking books.  
“A veritable home from home,” Adam said, dropping into one of the comfortable looking chairs. He watched Tony tap the wheel with his wand. He felt rather than heard a deep rumble from underneath as the boat seemed to surge forward.  
“Are we going somewhere?” He asked.  
“Out over the lake and up a fair distance.”  
“How do you know where you’re going?” Adam asked, moving back into the wheelhouse.  
“I’ve been here for years, so I know the area; also I’ve added anti-collision charms.” He said trying to sound matter-of-factly when in reality he was quite pleased with the boat.  
“Exactly where is here?”  
Tony looked around. “Northern Norway or Sweden, nobody seems to know which. About thirty kilometres from Lykkeligdal.”  
Adam had nothing else to say, realising whenever he felt comfortable with what was going on, he would always be surprised again and again.

Ten minutes later Tony tapped the wheel and the steady thump of the engine died back and then stopped altogether. Adam, who had gone back to the settee, with one a book he had taken from Tony’s library. He could feel the boat rock from side to side gently, not to waves, but the wind as it passed them by.  
Tony came into the sunroom and tapped his wand on a potbellied stove that sat in the corner and a small fire burst forth inside.  
“I have a question you might be able to answer?” He closed the book and placed it on the table.  
“Is it about the boat?”  
“Yes and no. If you can make extension charms big enough, as you have said, for entire communities to live in, why is everyone so bothered about Muggles expanding? As far as I can tell, all you need is a boat,” he gestured around the room, “and a few extension charms and you can house your entire community?”  
Tony nodded at him, a smile played over his face for a moment.  
“You agree with me?” Adam asked, surprised.  
“Yes. That’s the reason I don’t think these murders are anything to do with this so-called Muggle problem.”  
“If Salamander dragons were known to be going extinct, why weren’t they moved into an extension spell?”  
“I have no idea.”  
“Why do you have Drake Hantareres when you could put all the dragons in extension charms?” Again Tony shook his head. “One thing, Charley Weasley said he had to follow the dragons and keep applying the invisibility spells, as they were magical creatures.” Tony nodded while frowning. “Can dragons actually be put in an extension spell?”  
“I don’t see why not.” He replied after a moment although Adam could see his frown.  
“Does being inside an extension charm cause problems for people in them for any length of time?”  
“No, at least I don’t think so.” He looked down and thought. “I studied extension charms at Durmstrang, I already knew about them from Hogwarts. I learnt what I needed to know to make the adjustments to this boat from Anatoli, but that’s about the limit of my knowledge.”

The gentle rocking of the boat, lulled Adam into an easy sleep, slumped in the chair, the heat from the potbellied stove, helping to keep the cold out as the outside temperature dropped. Tony was sitting at the desk, which he had covered in books, all open at various pages.  
The barge rocked to one side, bringing Adam out of his sleep.  
“What did we hit?” Adam asked stretching, seeing Tony already at the window, looking out over the huge lake. The sky was a neutral grey as the sun rose behind a blanket of low cloud.  
The sound of wind gusting passed the boat followed by another thump which rocked the boat again.  
“We’re being attacked by someone on a broom,” Tony yelled dashing out of the room.  
He ran into the wheelhouse and out the side door, before climbing up onto the lower roof, with Adam right behind him, his coat over his arm. The dawn sky seemed to flicker before the boat rocked again. A moment later, a figure hunched over a broom passed the end of the boat at speed. Tony’s wand was out and pointing at the receding figure. A mix of different colour sparks erupted from his wand, missing the rider by inches. The rider dived below the boat. Tony leaned over the side as the rider sped underneath them. The boat rocked again, hit by the rider, this time underneath.  
Adam dodged back and grabbed at the rail to stop himself falling. He reached into his coat and pulled out his gun. Bracing himself against the side of the boat, the gun at arm’s length in both hands, he waited for a target to appear. He did not have to wait long before the broomstick and rider came towards them at speed from above. Adam braced allowing himself to breathe slowly as he took aim. As the rider turned towards the boat, his forward speed seemed to drop. The gunshot was loud in the early morning. The rider jerked hard left and sped off away from the boat. Tony took that moment to use his wand again. More sparks flew out and the rider seemed to fold up, then broom and rider started to fall. They watched as the broom and rider, still as one, dropped before hitting the water with a big splash that would have hurt considering the height they had fallen.  
“Adam, keep a look out, I’m going inside to get the boat started.” Adam nodded, keeping his stance ready, scanning the air around the boat.  
The boat rumbled into life and turned and dropped at the same time, causing Adam to grab at the low metal handrail. In the distance, Adam could see the attacker floundering in the water, in trouble. The boat levelled out a few meters above the water. The persons’ struggles were becoming weaker by the second. Adam slipped the gun back into his coat, threw his coat on the floor and pushed the rope ladder over the side. He was about to go over the side and down the ladder when Tony came out and tapped him on the back, gesturing at him to get off the ladder. He aimed his wand at the person in the water, who rose up to the boat. The figure was no longer struggling as Tony dropped them onto the narrow deck beside the wheelhouse. Adam reached down and rolled them over. They both noticed that blood was running over the deck, then they realised the attacker was a young woman.  
“Tony heads up, there someone else flying around in the distance.”  
He stood and scanning the horizon, his wand at the ready.   
“Take her inside and see if you can stem the blood flow from the bullet wound. I’ll keep a watch out here.”  
Adam grabbed his jacket from the lower deck and threw it inside before grasping the woman under her shoulders and pulled her inside and into the sun deck. He lifted her onto a chair, before checking her over, finding blood coming from a wound in her thigh, which puzzled him, as he had swapped the bullets for the small plastic tranquilliser disks, designed to stop and not injure. He tried rousing her, but she was unconscious.  
The boat rocked again, this time the hit was much harder and forced the boat over at an angle, before rolling upright again. Adam went back outside, hanging onto the door. Tony was crouched down scanning the sky when a thump hit the underside of the boat, followed by a loud creaking noise as the boat lurched as in a lift. For a moment, they were both weightless as the boat stopped climbing. The sky lit up as fire erupted from the end of Tony’s wand, Adam wondered where he managed to get a flamethrower from, as the fire arched across the sky towards another broom rider. They turned away and headed from them at speed, disappearing into the gloom.  
“He’s gone for now, but I expect he’ll be back. How’s our guest?”  
“Unconscious with a leg wound that’s still bleeding.”  
“You’re good with that gun.”  
“I missed her and I used a tranq not a bullet, the wound is from a knife.”  
They both went into the kitchen. Tony pulled a couple of small potion bottles out of his cupboard as Adam examined the girl’s thigh wound. Tony knelt down beside him and opened one of the bottles. The top contained a small pipette which Tony used to drop a couple of spots of the liquid onto the wound. As they watched, the wound stopped bleeding and healed up. Tony pulled a blanket out of a cupboard and placed it over her.   
As they walked back to the wheelhouse, Adam saw her wand, which he picked up and slipped it into his jacket pocket, which was still on the floor. He was starting to amass a collection, something he was sure would not go unnoticed for long.  
Tony had gone back outside to keep watch, so Adam joined him.  
As he got to him, he watched Tony tap the handrail of the boat and said “Home.” The boat’s engine or what passed for an engine thrummed into life and moved, turning while gaining height. As he listened, the sound the boat was making kept changing note as a small almost unnoticed shudder travelled through her.  
Now it was almost full daylight, Adam could see they were about fifty feet above the water of a large lake, they were heading for an island, covered with trees. His stomach lurched for a moment as the boat tipped upwards to miss the tops of the trees. Adam could see a clearing, which the boat dropped into, coming to a halt a few feet above the dry land. The engine cut out, leaving silence to descend, or at least as silent as possible, when hundreds of small birds were circling around, disturbed by their arrival.  
Tony tapped the handrail with his wand twice.  
“A word of warning Adam, I have reinstated the invisibility spell, if you step off the boat, you will not find her again. Understood?”   
“Completely,” Adam replied, having given up asking stupid questions about magic and was now happy to believe anything he heard.  
“What are we going to do with her?” Adam asked as he gestured inside the boat.  
“Wake her up and ask a few questions.”  
They both sat down as Tony waved his wand at the slumbering figure. Her eyes sprang open and looked at them both through the fringe of still wet blond hair.  
“Good morning young lady.” Said Adam smoothly, hoping to make her feel less panicky.  
They saw her hands move under the cover.  
“Where’s my wand?” She asked.  
“No idea, I assume you dropped it when you fell,” Tony replied honestly, Adam kept his mouth shut.  
“You knocked me out of the air.” She said, anger in her voice and eyes.  
“You and your friend were trying your best to knock us out of the sky,” Tony replied, echoing her anger.  
“I wasn’t aiming for you, I was running, till you got in the way.”  
“Got in the way, we saw you fire on us, my home has been damaged.”  
“I was trying to hide behind your boat, home, you got in the way.” She sat up, the blanket slipping off. Her jacket and shirt were still very wet. She shivered and pulled the cover back up.  
Tony stood up, went down to the kitchen. Adam looked at the girl.  
“How did you find out where we were?” He asked keeping his voice level.  
“I told you.”   
He interrupted. “And I don’t believe you.” His voice louder this time.  
“I don’t know who you are, why would I attack you?”  
“You do realise that Tony is an Auror, he will come back in here and use all the tricks he knows and you will tell us the truth, so be kind to yourself.”  
“I don’t understand.” She said, fear entering her voice.  
Tony came back with a hot drink in his hand, which he handed it to the girl, watching her sip the drink.  
“Tony, our young friend here is reluctant to tell me why she is here and why she attacked us. A little of your wand magic should sort that out. I remember what you did with Ramsey Arn...” He left the rest of the sentence hanging when he saw the girls pupils dilate.  
Tony sat down, realising what he was doing and kept quiet. He rather liked watching Adam interrogate, still amazed the way he could instil fear into trained wizards.  
“Let’s start from the beginning. What’s your name?”  
“My name is Hulda Scriven’s.”  
“Why are you here?” There was a hardness to his voice, not missed by Hulda or Tony.  
“I told you, I was running away.”  
“Again, I do not believe you. Do you have your wand ready?” He said looking at Tony, who placed his own drink on the table and pulled out his wand.  
“All right.” She said, her voice pitch high.  
“My name is.” She paused and looked down. “My name is.” She stopped again, tears rolled down her face as she looked up at the two men. “I don’t know my own name.” She cried into the blanket with great sobs shaking her body.  
Adam stood up; about to comfort the girl when something hit the boat again, rolling it sideways. Adam crashed to the floor, sliding along until he hit the wall, followed by the girl’s hot drink. Tony leapt from the chair and ran outside.  
Adam rolled and got to his feet about to follow Tony out the door when his lights went out. The girl had grabbed something heavy and smacked him on the head. She checked the first pocket she came to, pulling out his gun. She threw it to one side, not knowing what to do with it, ignoring the other pockets and missing his little wand collection.  
Looking out the cabin window, she watched Tony fire spells at the lone broomstick rider, who was speeding around the boat, changing direction, making themselves less of a target. The person on the broomstick dropped below the side of the boat, forcing Tony to stand up and lean over the edge. She leapt out and pushed Tony in the back, he let out a single cry as he tipped headfirst over the edge, falling a couple of meters through tree branches onto the hard packed ground under the boat. The girl waved at the other rider who flew over. He reached down and grabbed her hand as she leapt onto the back of the broom and hung on as the rider sped off away from the listing boat. As they flew away, the broom turned back towards them, the rider leaned over and fired again, this time at Tony on the ground, who had managed to stand up, cradling his arm. There was an explosion of leaves, which floated away on the breeze, Tony’s body lay face down on the ground, his arms and legs splayed out.


	18. Man down

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to St Mungo's is required.

Man Down.

 

Adam came too, twisted into an odd shape, his back against the wall, his leg numb, twisted painfully under him. He sat up and grabbed his head as a wave of pain threatened to make him pass out again. His dead leg started to throb as blood flowed through it. He felt around the bit of his head that ached, then looked at his hand and found blood. 

“Tony, you out there?” He called through the open doorway the birds replied.

He managed to get himself to his feet, hanging onto anything handy to stop himself from falling over, as another wave of dizziness enveloped his head. A few deep breaths and he felt well enough to try moving again.

He walked around the boat, hanging onto the handrail on the lower deck, which did not take long, of Tony there was no sign. Back down on the sun deck he opened the first window and called Tony’s name, again hearing nothing. He stood on the rear deck looking out at mile after mile of water; small islands of green dotted the landscape as far as he could see.

Grabbing his jacket, he went back down the stairs and into the toilet to clean his head wound, while he waited for Tony to come back.

He had paced the deck several times and was now getting worried about Tony’s disappearance. He took his phone out and called up his list of contacts, scrolled through, looking for a suitable number. He stopped at the contact called MoM, he was sure he had not put this number in the phone’s memory, nor was it on the phone the last time he checked. 

“Call MoM.” He said aloud. Several beeps and other noises came from the earpiece, none of which he had heard before from the phone, or any phone for that fact, assuming it was because he was in a foreign country.

“Ministry office, how can I help?” A male voice rang out which seemed somehow familiar to him.

“Who am I talking to?” He asked.

“The PM’s Undersecretary Mr Croft.”

“How did your number end up on my phone?”

“We like to try to envisage all eventualities, Mr Croft. Do you require any assistance or is this a social call?” There was no humour in the voice.

“My partner is missing and I am trapped somewhere in Norway or Sweden, I think.” Adam was expecting some sort of explosive reply, not the one he got.

“Someone will be with you shortly.” The phone went dead. 

Adam continued to pace the ship, finally heading back below to use the facilities again. As he came out, he could see light coming through the wall at the front, something he had not noticed before. Walking forwards, ducking down as the floor rose up at the front. He looked out of a large hole in the hull which, if the boat were on the water, would have sunk it. Looking around at the ground below, he saw a leg lying at an angle. He leaned forward as far as possible, now seeing two legs, certain they were Tony’s.

He ran back to the stairs climbing back to the wheelhouse and outside. The rope ladder was still hanging over the side, allowing him to climb down, dropping the last few feet to the ground. He stopped for a moment as another wave of dizziness enveloped him as he let go of the ladder. He looked up and cursed aloud. The boat had gone, no shadow, no noise, nothing, even though he knew it was still there, and even the ladder was missing. 

He ran over to where he thought Tony was, finding his body bent at a strange angle. He checked his pulse and found it, weak, but steady. He checked him over and assumed that his leg was broken because of the strange angle it was at, he could also see he had a head injury, which had bled, now stopped. A cursory examination had revealed these injuries, but Adam had no idea of any magical damage he might have sustained. His main problem now was how to get Tony and himself back into Aunt Matilda without causing Tony any more injuries, or giving himself a hernia, that is even if he knew where the boat was.

Adam had taken his jacket off again and covered Tony with it while he walked back to where he thought the boat’s ladder should be. After several fruitless minutes, he had to give up, whatever spell Tony had put on the boat made it impossible for him to find. He thought ruefully that he had been warned.

“Hello.” Said a female voice from somewhere above them.

“Hello.” Shouted Adam moving away from Tony, hoping that whoever was there could see him, as he could see nothing else but grey clouds.

“Can I help you?” The voice came again.

“I’m down here.”

“I know I can see you.”

“I can’t see you, there’s an invisibility spell on the boat and I have an injured Auror down here.” He was about to continue when the owner of the voice was standing beside him. “Botilda am I glad to see you.”

Botilda’s beaming smile spread across her face. The smile dropped as she looked up.

“That’s one great invisibility spell.” She said. “Nice to see you again Adam, how can I help?”

“Can you help Tony, he’s over here.” He guided her over to the twisted body of Tony. “We were attacked.”

“She removed her wand and ran it over the top of Tony’s body.

“I know what to do.” She said confidently, although her face was saying something else to Adam.

“I think he needs to go to St. Mungo’s.”

“Yes.” She said looking at him. Adam waited for her to move, which she didn’t.

“You’re not used to this sort of thing are you?” He asked, trying to be as gentle as possible.

“I don’t do field work.” She replied, her voice changing as panic starting to set in.

“Botilda.” She was looking around frantically, her name brought her back to Adam. “Take Tony to St Mungo’s, then come and get me.”

“Yes.” She said and finally moved from her frozen position towards Tony. She placed her hand on his arm and Adam was alone.

“I do hope she remembers where I am and who I am.” He said to himself aloud.

He started to wander around, realising that if she did not come back, he was stuck on an island in the middle of nowhere with no way home.

“Adam.” said a voice behind him. He sucked in a lungful of air in surprise and slowly let it out as he looked at a flushed Botilda. “He’s at St Mungo’s.”

“Is he all right?”

“I’ve no idea; the Matron won’t talk to me.”  
She grabbed his arm and noise assaulted his ears as he stood on the Charring Cross Road, he leapt to one side as a large driverless electric truck tried to run him down. Of Botilda, there was no sign.

Adam walked along the Charring Cross Road, looking around at the once familiar surroundings. His jacket containing his notebook was lying on an island somewhere in Scandinavia, and more importantly, his gun was still on Matilda. He touched the lump on the back of his head, the pain made him groan for a moment. He looked at his hand and luckily saw no new blood.

A door opened on the left and a tall, well-dressed woman strolled out, pulled a large shoulder bag up higher on her shoulder, and set off into the crowds milling down the road. He looked up at the door that was old, stained, and completely non descript. Above the door, a twisted hand-drawn sign seemed ready to fall at any moment. Puzzled, he had never seen this door before, even though he had walked passed it hundreds of times, realising that the magic that Tony had used on him, was allowing him to see the doorway. He took a deep breath, pushed the door open and entered the Leaky Cauldron.

The barman looked at him over his small wire-framed glasses and nodded.

“Can I help?” He asked.

“The usual, can you put it on Tony Garrett’s tab?” 

“Anything else, you look a little worse for wear.” The barman gave him a closer look.

“I feel a little worse for wear, and I need to get into Diagon Alley. Can you help?”

“I’ll check for you.” 

The barman started to get his drink as Adam started to calm down. He looked around the now familiar room at the assortment of people sitting, eating and drinking, noticing a tall, portly man, with a long greying beard over a flowery waistcoat, staring at him. The gaze was kindly, but deep. 

Adams’ heart sank as the man walked across the room; drink in hand, stopping at the bar next to Adam.

“No child?” This was a statement rather than a question, his voice deep and friendly.

“No child,” He replied.

“There’s something odd about you.” He said, making Adam’s heart sink, wondering how he would get himself out of this mess.

“What would that be?”

“You have a very potent charm around your neck and a wand in your pocket.” The barman placed his drink on the bar beside him, along with one for the man who stared at him. “And you’re a Muggle.” Adams heart, if possible, went even lower, as he had forgotten about the last wand Tony had given him, the rest still in his jacket.

“How the hell could you possibly know all that from a look?” Adam asked.

“I’m a teacher and it’s my job to spot strange things, especially with what I have to teach.” The man smiled warmly.

“The charm,” he said, tapping himself on the chest, above where the charm was sitting warmly against him, “was given by a friend as protection.” He pointed out the door which he thought led to Diagon Alley. “The wand I took from someone trying to evade me.”

“How could you take a wand from a wizard?” His voice had turned cold.

“It’s easy to take someone’s wand off them, however, in this case, I shot them first,” Adam said looking right into the man’s eyes.

“Hell’s teeth, little harsh, don’t you think.” He exclaimed.

“No, she was trying to kill me and my partner, and he’s an Auror.” Adam finished talking by picking up the drink and downing a large mouthful.

“You want to go through that door into the alley?”

“Yes, my partner the Auror is in St Mungo’s. Also, my wife is in there, both of which I would like to see.” He paused while he took another drink. “I never thought to ask how I get in here if I needed to on my own.”

“If we made it easy, every Muggle would be in here.” The man picked up his own drink and emptied the almost full tankard down his throat in one. “Come on then.” He said, heading for the door that led to the alley. Adam gulped his drink down and followed the man out into an alleyway he hadn’t seen before.

“Why are you helping me?” Adam asked as they ambled up the street, dodging people who were rushing around.

“The barman knew who you were and put your drink on a Wizards tab, something he wouldn’t do if you were not supposed to be here. Also, not everyone in Diagon Alley would look after your best interests. A lone Muggle wandering around here could be in real danger.”

“I’m already in danger; I assumed I’d be safe here.”

“You’re far too trusting. Would you walk down some of the neighbourhoods you know of, on your own?”

“Good point.”

They stopped at a blank brick wall. He watched the man pull his wand from his pocket and touch several bricks. Adam tried to make sure his mouth did not drop open as the bricks rearranged themselves from a blank wall into an archway, revealing Diagon Alley.

They walked in silence, Adam having nothing to say to this strange man. They passed the entrance to Gringotts bank the man stopped and turned to him.  
“You do realise that the entrance to St Mungo’s isn’t in Diagon Alley.”

Adam stopped in his tracks. “When my wife and I were brought here, I left by the main door and we came out of that door over there.” He pointed up the street to a large building opposite the wandmakers shop.

“That is someone’s home.” The man said, looking around at him again. Adam realised he had trusted someone from this realm yet again and was about to pay the price.

“This is where we stood, over there is Pinne’s shop where I got this charm from.” His voice starting to betray his annoyance, the throbbing in his head not helping his mood.

The wizard looked him straight in the eyes. “Please remember, Mr Croft, not all wizards are good, also remind young Garratt of this fact.” The man held his arm out towards Adam.

Adam ignored the proffered arm. “You know Tony Garrett?”

“Yes. I taught him everything he knows.”

“Are you a professor at that school?”

“I am indeed.” Adam felt a certain amount of relief at this news.

“You’re the second Professor I have met that doesn’t look like a professor.” The man’s arm still held out and still ignored.

“Who’s the other one?”

“Dwarf guy, no goblin, called,” Adam went quiet for a moment, “Gronuk or something like that.”

“Goranuk.”

“That’s it.” Adam reached out and grasped the man’s arm, knowing what was about to happen.

“Are you sure it was Goranuk?” A frown had appeared on the man’s face.

“Tony knew him, said he had taught him at Dumstranges. Little fellow about this high.” He gestured with his hand at about mid-thigh level.

“Durmstrang.” The man corrected. “What was he doing here?”

“It wasn’t here, it was in the Charring Cross Road, said he was having a job interview in the Leaky Cauldron.”

“What job?”

“He said chemistry, I think.”

“Are you sure?”

“He said chemistry, I didn’t know about the delights of your world at that time.”

“Tell Mr Garrett that we do not conduct interviews in the Leaky Cauldron, for any post. I’ll let the headmaster know of this.”

A moment of disorientation later they were standing in the main entrance of St Mungo’s. Adam was surprised that he felt almost nothing during the apparition.

“Good day, Mr Croft.” Said the man as the matron headed towards them. Adam looked at the matron then back at the empty space beside him.

“Mr Croft, good to see you again, who do you want to see first, your wife or Mr Garrett?”

“I think I ought to see my wife. Who was the man who was just with me?”

“Professor Longbottom. Follow me.” She said, marching off towards the staircase.

He followed the matron up what seemed endless curving stairs, passing floor after floor and door after door, where strange smells and weird noises assaulted his ears and nose. They stopped on a floor some distance up, leaving Adam winded, the matron not so. They entered a large, long room with several beds arranged on both sides along its length. To Adam, it looked like a Victorian hospital, no technology, no displays, and no monitors, bare clean white painted floorboards, and the nurses wearing white starched collared shirts and blue flowing skirts.

“Adam.” Came a Welsh voice from the far end next to the window.

Adam rushed forward and wrapped his arms around Gwen. 

A long hug later, she let go.

“Do you know what this place is?” She asked excitedly.

“Yes.”

“Why didn’t tell me about it.”

“I only found out after we found you unconscious in the flat.”

“You mean all this is new to you as well?”

“Yes. You wouldn’t believe what else there is.”

“I would.” She gestured to the old woman in the next bed. “This is Augustine Morell. She has been telling me so many stories, schools, villages, and streets, hidden from us where they all live and this hospital.”

Adam smiled at the woman. “Nice to meet you, Augustine. What you in for?” He asked, realising it would be her age.

“I fell off my broomstick this morning, banged my head and cut my leg, my own fault for being so stupid.” She had a well-spoken no-nonsense sort of voice, which sounded quite youthful and strong.

“I thought she was joking when she said broomstick.” Gwen piped in. “They can fly broomsticks.”

“I know I’ve seen them, I’m told they are very uncomfortable.”

Augustine spoke. “They are sore on the rear, but useful for short journeys. I used to be a damn good Quidditch player at one time.”

Adam felt Gwen move. He looked around and saw she was lying back, her eyes showing only the whites, she shuddered from time to time. He was about to go running for a nurse when Augustine spoke.

“Don’t worry, she’s had a bad hex, it’ll take time to clear. Best leave her sleep, for now, come back later.” Her voice, kindly and comforting to Adam, calmed him immediately.

A gentle cough came from beside him, his head spun around and found a young pretty nurse looking at him, he had not heard arrive.

“Mr Garrett is awake and wishing to see you. I’ll bring you back to see your wife when you’re done.” She turned and walked towards the door, expecting him to follow. He extricated his hand from Gwen’s and followed her out of the ward.

Down two floors later, she opened another ward door, almost identical to the last, only this time the filled beds had men in them. Tony was just inside the door, lying on the bed, fully clothed, although a little grimy, a grin on his face.

“I was wondering when you would get here.”

“I got dumped on the Charring Cross Road, luckily I got some help from a Professor Longbottom.”

“My old Herbology professor, I must pop in and see him one of these days.”

“He told me to tell you that interviews are not conducted in the Leaky Cauldron.”

“Why would he say that?” Adam was about to speak. “Did you mention Professor Goranuk to him?” Adam nodded. “I knew there was something odd about him being here in London.”

“A suspect perhaps?” 

“I doubt it, but why would he lie about why he was here?”

“When will they let you out?” Adam changed the subject, remembering another comment from Longbottom concerning trust.

“Now.” He stood up, the door behind Adam opened again, and the matron came striding in.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Her stern voice seemed to force Tony back onto the bed.

“I’m fine. I have work to do.”

“So do I Mr Garratt. Turn around, head back.” She placed her hands on either side of his face, moved his head left, right, up and down. She turned him around again and looked into his eyes. “You can go. Try to avoid nasty spells and falls in the future.” She flicked her wand, which had appeared in her hand, at the table and a small glass full of clear liquid appeared.

“Part of the job I’m afraid.”

“So I gather. Drink that.” She gestured at the glass before turning towards Adam, giving him a long stare.

“I’m fine.” He said a little panicky.

“What about the huge lump on the back of your head? Turn around.” Reluctantly, he obeyed. Her hand grasped his head on either side and tilted it back, which hurt, making him tense up. He felt a mild tingling sensation that was quite pleasant. The pulling sensation and the dull throb he had since the injury, lessened and then went away altogether.

“You’ll do. Try ducking next time.”

“She hit me from behind.”

The matron nodded and gave him a kind smile and then turned and left. “Follow me; I’ll take you back up to see your wife, and you Mr Garrett.” She called after them as she pushed at a blank wall which turned out to be a doorway. She stood to one side, allowing them both to enter a short corridor. The doorway closed and darkness surrounded them.


	19. The AMC

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tricked and kidnapped.

The AMC.

Adam opened his eyes, feeling confused and constricted, he was no longer walking along a dark corridor; he was sitting down. Around him was an immaculate book lined room. Between the bookcases were many pictures of people sitting around in various poses. Four chairs, one of which he was sitting in, dominated the room, polished red leather sitting around a small carved table. On this were four empty cut glasses and a matching decanter full of a deep red-coloured liquid. The room smelt of affluence. Adam looked out of the windows at the manicured gardens stretching off towards low wooded hills and huge snow-topped mountains beyond.  
“Good, you’re both awake?”  
Tony and Adam’s heads span around for the source of the voice. He had a round face, overweight and well into his sixties. His smile was more than a little disarming, his voice calming and well educated. Adam had not realised Tony was awake as he flexed his arms, but found himself restrained, magically in some way as he could see nothing holding them down.  
“I’ll do the introductions shall I?” He smiled again as he walked up and stood in front of Tony. He brushed his hand down the front of an embroidered robe, smoothing out imaginary wrinkles in the fabric. He wore a jacket over the robe that had a matching design. His bare feet stuck out from under the robe.  
“Auror Anthony Garrett.” He tapped Tony on the top of his head. “Making a good name for himself with the Ministry of Magic in London. Nothing outstanding as yet, but there’s still time, of that I’m sure.”  
He moved to Adam. He realised this man was used to controlling people, his calm voice seemed to radiate more power than a competent politician did.  
“Detective Chief Inspector Adam Croft. Very good name in the force, well respected, strangely, about to retire, suddenly finds himself in more trouble than he could imagine and considering his years on the force, can imagine an awful lot.” He dipped his head towards Adam. “Last time we met you were a Detective Inspector.” Adams mouth opened and closed several times, before he gave up and kept quiet, his mind working as fast as possible, trying to put a name to the face in front of him.  
He moved away from Adam and sat at the small table. He moved the glasses and decanter to one side of the table. “You’re wondering who I am?” He paused for effect. “Luthor Crabbe at your service.” Tony gasped.  
“I knew the Auror would recognise the name.” Again the warm smile seemed to light his face up.  
Tony opened his mouth and took a breath, ready to speak.  
“Ah, Ah, Ah, no talking, please let me finish.” Tony closed his mouth. “As an Auror, you rightly assumed the Crabbe’s were idling away their time in Azkaban, which they mostly were.” He stopped while he took a drink. “When a certain Tom Riddle rose to power, a few of us in the family realised he was trouble and moved, firstly to the America’s, then here. We left the less, studious members of the family in good old Blighty.” Again he paused for another drink, Adam realised these pauses were for effect only. “Yes, Mr Garrett,” his voice boomed, “We ran at the beginning of the blood wars. Pureblood mania,” he spat these words, “there isn’t a single family on this planet that’s pureblood. If it wasn’t for Muggles, the Wizarding world would have become extinct hundreds if not thousands of years ago.”  
Adams’ head was spinning from the man to Tony and back, looking confused.  
“Don’t worry, Mr Croft; Mr Garrett will explain the details later.” Adam breathed a silent breath of relief, at least there would be a later he thought.  
“We watched the rise of Riddle, then the sudden surprising fall. Everything went quiet, we found that life on this side of the world was far better than England, the local wizarding population welcomed us, and so we stayed.” He was tapping the table with his finger. “Twelve years later and Riddle is back and the blood wars are back on again.” He took a sip of the wine. “History tells us what happened next.”  
He took yet another sip of his drink.  
“Forty years later, a new problem has reared its ugly head. It is not really a new problem; we’ve been expecting it for decades. Anyone with half a brain could see that Muggle technology and expansion was going to be a problem.”  
A light knock on the door heralded the door opening and a well-dressed man strolled in carrying a large wooden carved box, which he placed on the small table next to the glasses and decanter.  
As he turned away, he looked at them both.  
“Hi Garrett, in trouble again.” The voice was full of humour as he nodded at Adam as if this was the most usual thing he had ever seen, before he walked out, leaving Adam and Tony bemused.  
Crabbe pulled the box round towards himself, opened it and extracted Tony’s wand and vaping tube. He placed them on the table side by side. He reached in again, pulled a second wand out, and placed on the table. A third dip produced Tony’s phone, which as usual, looked like a piece of clear plastic. This went beside the other items before finally looking up at them both.  
“Interesting collection.” He looked at Tony. “Clever the way you hide your wand in front of Muggles. Doesn’t it interfere with your magic?” He asked.  
“I’ve been warned about it by a wandmaker.”  
“Pinne, good wandmaker.” Luthor held up his own wand. “His father made this for me.”  
Tony realised that somehow this man knew everything about him and Adam.  
“Thank you for listening so far.” He said as he clicked his fingers with a loud snap. Adam and Tony both felt the removal of the binding spell.  
“Please have a drink.” He pointed at the glasses on the table that were now full. Both men looked at each in surprise at the turn of events.  
“What happens now?” Adam asked taking the drink.  
“We continue our talk. You understand the full problem and we, together, attempt to figure a way forward.”  
“Why the hell would we do that?” Adam asked eyeing the wands.  
“How else are you going to find out who killed the Muggles and the wizards?”  
“Don’t you know?”  
“No!” He exclaimed. “That’s why you two were put together.”  
“What the hell can a new Auror and an old policeman do?” Tony asked angrily.  
“Lots, you’re an awkward bastard.” He gestured at Tony. “Poke your nose into places he shouldn’t, refuses to believe anything you’re told and clever with a wand.” He turned to Adam. “You’re even more of an awkward sod, renowned for digging and getting up peoples noses.”  
“Tony, I am not an old anything. “Tony grinned at him. “What can you tell us about Hulda Scrivens?” Adam asked, seeing little point in ignoring this man, hoping that he was going to be useful.  
“Not a lot, although we would like to know where Miss Scrivens is, as she seems to be on several ministries wanted lists. I had some news this morning from your Ministry in London, which will probably not help you in any way, apparently, she has been using the name Augustine Morrel.”  
Adam raised his hand as a feeling of dread swept over him. “Do witches and wizards often have the same name?” He asked already certain of the answer.  
“Very rare, the magical world prides itself on individuality; very rarely do we get a junior, like you Muggles, not in England anyway.”  
“Then why was Augustine Morell in the bed next to my wife at St Mungo’s?”  
Luthor jumped up, his wand already in his hand and sending a flash of sparks at the old pictures, all of which came to life.  
“Go to St Mungo’s and see what’s going on. Somebody call my sons and their teams now.” Adam looked at the people scurrying out of the pictures in disbelief.  
Noise battered Adams ears as the room suddenly filled with people.  
“Johnathan, you, and your team go to St Mungo’s, protect Gwenfron Jones with your life.”  
“Yes, father.” They were gone.  
“Andrew and Michael, you and your teams also to St Mungo’s, Hulda Scrivens is disguised as Augustine Morrel, get her and bring her here now, I don’t care how you do it or the condition she’s in, understand  
“Yes, father.” They also left.  
There was still one group left in the room.  
“Steven, prepare the place, we may have casualties and we may come under attack, be prepared, wands at the ready.”  
“Yes, father.” The room again empty save for the three of them.  
“Luthor.” A lone voice called out from of the pictures. “We’ve got the Muggle, but the girls putting up a bit of a fight.” Adam’s mouth had dropped open this was the first time he had heard the paintings talk.  
Another crack echoed throughout the room as three men and a woman appeared.  
“Gwen.” Shouted Adam as ran over, wrapping his arms around the severely frightened woman.  
“Well done lads, where’s Johnathan?” Luthor asked.  
“He’s helping Andrew and Michael.”  
“Good, go and help Steven.”  
“Yes, Sir.”  
Adam led Gwen, still in a hospital gown, to a large winged chair and sat her down.  
“Why were those men attacking Augustine?” She asked, her voice quavering.  
“That wasn’t Augustine; it was a wanted criminal, probably the one who put you in hospital.”  
“It couldn’t have been I saw a young girl standing in the flat just before I blacked out.”  
“Slim, blond hair, fringe, green eyes?” He asked.  
“Sounds like her.” Luthor handed Gwen a glass of wine, she smiled and took the glass.  
Before anyone could continue, another snap echoed around the room.  
“Luthor Crabbe.” Shouted the matron from St Mungo’s, who was standing in the middle of the room. “What do you think you’re doing, your sons are running around my hospital, wands ablaze?”  
“Amanda, dear Amanda.” He said walking towards her with his arm open wide.  
“Don’t you dear Amanda me.” Her voice strident anger etched across her whole body. She stopped and looked at Gwen. “Are you OK my dear?” She said quietly  
“I think so.” She replied, holding up the already half-empty glass.  
The matron turned to Luthor.  
“We’re certain Augustine is Hulda Scriven’s” He said before walking over to her and wrapping his arm around her.  
Adam looked at Tony, who jaw was now ajar. The matron slipped her arms around Luthor, returning the hug for a moment.  
“Your lads scared the hell out of me. I expect the hospital will in the uproar, I have to get back.”  
“Not until my lads are back with Scrivens and they tell me it’s safe.”  
“No, Luthor, my place is in the hospital, regardless of danger, people could be hurt.” She apparated.  
“Stubborn bloody woman.”   
Silence descended on the room until one of Luthor’s sons appeared.  
“Father, we have three down and Scrivens has escaped, bloody hell she’s good with a wand.” He added with feeling. “Amanda has taken over and is looking after them.” He disappeared again with waiting for a reply.

Action over they all settled down in the chairs again. “That was very militaristic?” Asked Adam of Luthor.  
“When things went wrong fifty-odd years ago and I ended up here, I asked myself, what would I do if Riddle came fully to power, what would I have to do to fight him, would I have no choice but to join him. Luckily, I never needed an answer to any of these questions.” He leaned back in his chair. “However, my interest was piqued as to how I would fight if required, so I spent some time reading Muggle history and military books.”  
“You stopped relying on your magic,” Adam said.  
“Correct, Mr Croft.” He said, a huge smile appearing on his face. “We are incredibly reliant on our magic, most of us would starve if we had to feed ourselves, and there are quite a number of wizards and witches that would be running around naked if they no magic.”  
“We’re not that bad,” Tony said indignantly.  
“You aren’t,” Luthor said, pointing at Tony. “You have Muggle parents; you spent the first eleven years of your life as a Muggle with no magic. You have a basic understanding of survival, those of us who have spent their entire lives in the wizarding world, could not survive without magic.”  
“He’s right Tony.” Adam added. “You didn’t see Botilda when she turned up at Matilda. She had magic, but not a clue what she was supposed to do.” Tony sat back, looking to come back with an argument of his own. Adam beat him to it. “How many times have I told you, you rely on magic too much? I started off being mesmerised by your magic and forgot the fundamentals of investigation and it nearly got us killed.”  
“Adam, do not underestimate Botilda Grimworthy, she is very formidable.” Luthor’s voice had changed, now serious. “Do not think for one moment that her inability was anything but a ruse. If you do, you’ll probably live to regret it.” Adam looked at him, in his mind he was trying to find any sort of threat Botilda could pose. “Now you know why I put you two together.” Luthor continued.  
“Surely Percy Weasley put us together?” Tony asked.  
“Percy, great guy, brilliant Minister for Magic, no imagination. He likes thing as they are, doesn’t like to rock the boat, that’s why he is where he is. Wizards and witches do not like change, but change is coming whether we like it or not. If we’re not ready, all will be lost.”  
Silence descended as Luthor refilled Gwen’s glass again.  
Tony broke the silence. “Botilda Grimworthy was the one who came out and rescued us both?” He asked staring intently at Adam. He nodded back with a wry smile. “How did she know where we were?”  
“I rang the ministry.” Adam stopped and thought for a moment. “I rang the number on my phone, which was supposedly the Ministry of Magic, the undersecretary for the PM answered and Botilda appeared at Matilda.”  
They all looked at each other, then at Luthor as he started to laugh.  
“The Muggle PM’s undersecretary is a wizard, has been for the last fifty years. I think the first one was Kinsley Shacklebolt, it’s become a bit of a punishment posting since then.”  
Gwen spoke. “How did we end up here and where is here?”  
“The reason we are here is that of the lovely matron of St Mungo’s, she set us up.” He turned and looked at Luthor, who was smiling back.  
“Here is The Ministry for the African Magical Congress, it’s somewhere in the Serengeti.” He allowed them all to take this in.  
“I feel like Alice.” She seemed to slump down in the chain. Luthor raised his hand and a small bell appeared in it, which he rang. Immediately a man came in.  
“Can you take Miss Jones to the infirmary; I believe she still has a little convalescing to do.”  
Tony leant over to Adam and whispered. “Why does everyone keep calling your wife Jones?”  
“I have no idea, apart from the fact they are right.” He whispered back.  
Tony went to ask another question before Luthor spoke again.  
“I should think by now you and Adam have a good grip on our problem?”  
“I assume you mean the Muggle problem rather than the murder problem.” He replied.  
“I believe they are one and the same. Someone is trying to stir up trouble between Muggles and wizards again.”  
“I can think of a dozen ways to stir trouble up between the two parties that would require a lot less effort and no murders.” Luthor nodded. “I think something else is going on. I believe this Muggle-wizard problem is a smoke screen for the other things that are going on.”  
“What do you think it is?” Luthor asked.  
“I was hoping you could tell me.”  
“And I was hoping you would find out and tell me.”  
“I have a question?” Tony said. “How did Hulda manage to pretend to be Augustine, surely any magic being used by someone would be noticed while in St Mungo’s?”  
“Very good questions of which the answer should be, not a chance, however, this needs to be looked into, in detail. I’ll get someone trusted on to it straight away and get back to you both.” Luthor said.   
“Next question, how did Hulda get to Tony’s boat and who was she with?”  
“What boat?” Asked Luthor.  
“Doesn’t matter.” Tony replied. “But, someone is watching us.”  
“You’re being watched by many people,” Luthor added.  
“I don’t mind the right people watching us, but not the wrong people. It’s as if we are following a pre-determined path that everyone knows about, except for us.” Adam nodded at this.  
“That my dear fellow is another story altogether, one I may or may not explain later.” He looked at the confused faces. “What are your plans?” He asked.  
Tony put down his glass.  
“I think we need to pay a visit to the Ministry.”  
“Do you think that’s wise?” Luthor asked.  
“Not for a moment, but why would anyone expect me to turn up there.” He looked at Adam who smiled back.  
“What aren’t you two telling me?” Asked Luthor  
“Now that would be telling,” Adam said, partly to himself.  
“I think I understand,” Luthor said leaning back in his chair. “You’re going into the dragon’s den and you might not come out again. I can only protect you so far.”  
“At least we have a way forward, for now; currently we are being led around by the nose. We need to be proactive.”  
“Spoken like a true Muggle.” Luthor stood up and held his hand to Adam. “When we meet again, I do hope it will be under better circumstance.”


	20. The Ministry for Magic

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pair end up in the Ministry but find themselves heading for the exit, very quickly.

The Ministry for Magic.

They were standing in the living room of Grimmauld Place. The shock of recent events had taken it out of the pair, and they had gone no further forward in the investigation.  
“I didn’t feel a thing that time,” Adam said looking around the room, which a moment beforehand was Luthor’s drawing room, or whatever he called it. “My wife is now somewhere in South Africa.”  
“Magic’s fun isn’t it,” Tony said, feeling as bemused as Adam.  
Adam remembered the wand he had in his pocket and dropped it on the table in front of Tony.  
“I seem to be making a little collection of these and I can’t use them. Any idea what we do next? After we collect my phone that is. I expect it will be complaining to all, back at the yard by now.” Tony disappeared, leaving him alone, returning a moment later with Adam's coat in one hand and the gun in the other.  
“I can’t believe how light this thing is.” He said rotating the gun around. “I thought it would be metal?”  
“No, metal went a long time ago.”  
Tony handed the gun back. “As I said to Luthor, we need to visit the ministry. They will have the details of the interviews, plus reports from other places. I also have questions I need answers to.”  
“Good idea, but you’re on your own.”  
“No. I think you should come with me.” He reached down and picked up the wand and handed it to Adam. His phone bleeped twice, signifying to him it was happy being in range of him again.  
“Am I allowed in and where the hell is it?” He took the wand adding it to the others in his pocket.  
“Probably not, but I’ve given no instructions saying you’re not allowed in, so sod em and the Ministry is in London.”

They apparated to Diagon Alley and wandered down the quiet street, most of the denizens were filtering into the street. Some already sat on benches that sat outside almost every building and shop, others heading for the Leaky Cauldron. They turned down a small alleyway, the sign saying ‘Knockturn Alley’. Tony stopped at a small non-descript building and opened the door to the Ministries office.  
“Hello, Edlyn,” Tony said trying to keep his voice light as Adam followed him inside.  
“Good evening, Mr Garrett weren’t you supposed to be meeting me at the Leaky Cauldron a couple of nights ago. She said without looking up, her voice cold.  
“If you know how many countries I’ve been to and how many times someone has tried to kill me in the last two days, you would understand why I didn’t come to see you, but sorry anyway.”  
This made her head come up, noticing Adam for the first time. She smiled at him.  
“This is Adam Croft, my partner.”  
“You’re the policeman everyone is talking about?” She said, her voice deep and husky.  
“How do you know about me?” He asked suspicions aroused in his mind.  
“Easy, it’s a secret that Tony is working with a Muggle policeman, so obviously everybody knows.” As she spoke, she rose and came round to shake hands.  
There was something lissom about the way she walked around the desk. Adam wondered how much was down to her, or her magic. Her deep red dress clung to her body. To Adam she was the archetypal Witch he had seen in every movie since his childhood; she was a most beautiful woman. His mistrust shot through the roof.  
She held out her hand, which was cool to the touch, but firm. Adam felt a desire for her, surprisingly strong, but somehow alien.  
“Nice to meet you, Adam.” She turned to Tony. “Can I assume you’re not here to take me to the Cauldron?”  
“No, we’re on our way to the Ministry.”  
Her eyes widened. “You’re taking him into the ministry?” Her thumb gestured at Adam.  
“Yes, we’re working together, anything the Ministry has to say, he needs to hear it first-hand.”  
“Muggles aren’t allowed in the Ministry.”  
“I’ve seen Muggles in the Ministry on many occasions.” He said heading for the huge fireplace.  
“When did you see Muggles in the Ministry?” She asked, putting her hands on her hips, which seemed to accent her figure to a degree that Adam was finding difficult not to notice. He opened his mouth to speak and then closed it again. “More importantly, how many times have you been in the ministry?” She continued as Adam noticed her fingernails were like sharp pointed talons, the same colour as her dress.  
“I’ve been to the Ministry, but Muggles must go there from time to time.”  
She shook her head. “You’ve been to the Ministry once.” She held her hand up with one finger pointing upwards.  
“We have too many unanswered questions, plus the Ministry set all this up. They can sort it out.” He said with finality.  
He picked up a pot from the mantelpiece, taking a handful of the powder from it and gestured for Adam to follow him.  
“You’re going to do that flame thing, why can’t we apparate?” Adam said, backing up across the room, before stopping as he realised he was now too close to Edlyn for comfort; he felt things he had not felt since he had first met Gwen. I really do like brunettes, he thought.  
“Remember what I said about Hedgecock, the Ministry has spells on the building to stop anyone apparating in or out. This is the only way you can get in.”  
Adam looked at him and the fireplace, remembering the day he was in the wandmakers shop and the huge blast of green fire. He took a deep breath and stepped forward.  
“The Ministry is going to be very angry,” Edlyn said almost girlishly.  
“I really don’t care what they think. The Ministry of Magic.” He threw the Floo powder and Adam held his breath.  
“You could use the tube to get in,” Edlyn called after them as they disappeared. She shrugged and went back to her desk.  
Before she sat down the fireplace lit up with green flames. Adam and Tony had reappeared, crouched in the fireplace.  
“Told you,” She said in a singsong way as she took her seat, “Muggles are not allowed in the Ministry.”  
“You said tube before we went.” Adam gestured at the fireplace.  
“Visitors’ entrance is via the tube from Camberwell Cemetery, Goodmayers Park or Parliament Hill.” She smiled alarmingly at them. Adam looked at Tony, who was looking as perplexed as he was. “Doesn’t matter which one you use they all stop at St Mungo’s and Bishops Gardens.”  
“You couldn’t use the tube before putting me through that shit,” he gestured at the fireplace, “and I’ve never heard of those stations.” He said looking back at the still smiling woman.  
“I’ve only used the tube once, and I don’t know how to get tickets. I didn’t realise it was the visitor’s entrance.” Tony said defensively.  
“The old visitor’s entrance was a red telephone box.” Edlyn piped up again. “It was removed many years ago, so the ministry decided they needed a new way in.” She looked up at them both. “Also, nobody ever enjoys going in the main entrance.”  
“What was wrong with the main entrance?” Adam asked his interest piqued.  
“You have never had to flush yourself into the Ministry, it’s undignified.” Tony was nodding in agreement.  
“So we just go to the station and get on the tube?” Tony asked.  
“Yes,” Edlyn replied, “as long as you have a ticket.” She added looking back down.  
“It’s alright,” replied Adam, “I have an Oyster card.” He turned towards the door as Edlyn giggled to herself.  
“You’re enjoying yourself far too much young lady,” Adam said, turning around to face her again.  
“Parliament Hill is the nearest station to here,” she continued, still looking down and still smiling, “but you still need tickets.”  
“Can we buy tickets at the station?” Tony asked with a resigned air.  
“No.” She turned the devastating smile on them again; Adams’ heart did a little double beat. She put her hand in a large shoulder bag and pulled out a small purse, from which she pulled many small pieces of parchment, two of which she placed on the table.  
“You owe me, Mr Garrett.” She pushed the small cards across the table; the rest went back into the purse. “Believe me, I will collect.” She added.  
Adam took the two gold coloured metallic cards. On the front, written in an ornate scroll was, ‘All stations to Bishops Gardens’. Tony noticed they were the same as the one he had received before he started this job.  
“You just hand these over at the station?” Adam asked.  
“No. The door to the stations will only open for someone carrying a card. Magical version of an oyster card.” She gestured towards the door, dismissing them both.  
“Hampstead Heath is a large place, what are we looking for?” Adam asked as Tony opened the door to the alleyway.  
“Do you know where the Ice House is?” She asked as she looked up, Adam nodded and she smiled at him in that way again, this time the look had no effect, as a feeling of dread came over him.

Out in the alleyway, Tony held out his arm for Adam and they apparated to Highgate Road, both jumping as a swarm of small delivery drones swept passed above them in a straight line.  
Ten minutes of walking, they came to the Ice House, which Adam knew of, as during a couple of investigations he had combed the area, looking for clues in an old case. The Ice House was a small, unimpressive circular brick building with a new tiled roof. They had passed a number of semi-clad people enjoying the morning sunshine, waiting until they were alone before approaching the small door. Adam stopped a few yards from the hut, causing Tony to walk into him.  
“What’s wrong?” He asked, noticing Adam’s reluctance to continue. Adam moved over to one side and sat down on a lone bench. Tony could see he looked grey.  
“What’s wrong?” He asked again, sitting next to him, worry in his voice.  
“I haven’t mentioned this before.” It was obvious he was gearing himself up to say something he was not at all happy about. “I have an eidetic memory, it’s one of the reasons I’m a good policeman.” Tony shook his head. “An eidetic memory means, if I see it, I remember it and can’t forget it. Do you remember asking how I never seem to miss anything?” Tony nodded, not wanting to talk. “I can bring up any scene or piece of paper or an item and see it in detail, years after the event.” Tony nodded again. “That’s the reason I miss nothing.” He took a deep breath, steeling himself. “Some years ago we had a spate of drug-induced murders, a new kind of synthetic drug had come on the market and certain people were very susceptible to it. It made them psychotic; they acted out their fantasies, which in a couple of cases that fantasy was murder.” Tony waited, as this was obviously painful as he could almost see Adam shaking. “We were looking for an eighteen-year-old girl who had gone missing. Information had led us to this park, which we were in the process of searching. We had fifty uniformed police officers doing a fingertip search. We were sure we were looking for a body rather than a person. Anyway, I was leading one-half of the search, Metcalf, you’ve met him. “Again he nodded, “was on the other side. I saw this building and headed towards it, the door was open.” Adam took a deep breath, looked at the Icehouse for a moment. “I entered the room and found blood everywhere, on one side was a red misshapen lump. It was the girl, she had no skin, it had been peeled from her body, her fingers had been cut off, and her eyes had been ripped out.” Adams’ head had dropped down; his voice muffled when he spoke. “The coroner’s report went on to five pages of injuries the girl had suffered. I stepped outside, emptied the contents of my stomach, for the first and only time in my life at a crime scene. Then I yelled for the forensic team, several officers came running, a couple looked inside and did the same as me. I forced myself to go back inside, to have a look, stupid. To this day I wish I had walked away.” He looked up at Tony, the anguish smeared across his face. “The lump moved and a frightened little voice said ‘Help me’. It was hard to understand what she said because she had no lips.  
“What?” Tony exclaimed.  
“She wasn’t dead, she had survived.” Adams’ head slumped back down again. “I can see the inside of that ice house and I can hear that pitiful little voice like it was yesterday.”  
“What happened after that?” Asked Tony, interested, yet horrified at the same time.  
“She still had a full set of lungs and screamed the place down as they got her out and into the ambulance. She died two days later. An ambulance man, a forensic officer and four police officers quit that day. I was very almost one of them.”  
“Did they catch the guy that did it?”  
“He was a she.” Tony looked shocked at this news. “The girl that did it was the dead girl’s best friend.”  
After a moment’s hesitation, Adam stood up and walked forward to the door of the little hut. He stopped in front of it, unable to enter. Tony slipped his wand from his sleeve and pointed it at Adam’s back, watching him start to slump before he rose up, and passed through a shimmering wall and disappeared, along with Tony.  
Adam opened his eyes and saw he was now standing in a small brick-lined tube station. A huge sign on the wall on the opposite side of the single rail track stated, ‘Parliament Hill Station’. He could see no other décor, except for ornate light globes attached to the walls at regular intervals, casting a warm glow over everything.  
“What happened?” He asked, looking at Tony.  
“I made you sleep while I got you down here, no one should have to go through that again.”  
Adam looked at Tony for a moment. “Normal people’s memories become worn with time, they are like pebbles on the beach, and the waves rub off the edges and make them smooth. Memories get better with age, mine do not. If there were a potion that could rid me of these memories, I would drink a gallon of it. I’ve seen too much in my time Tony and I’m not sure how much more I can take.” Tony realised that the tough, arrogant cop, afraid of nothing, was like him underneath, full of self-doubt, and worse still, he had seen horrors he could only imagine.  
“How do we find out when the next train is due?” Adam asked, changing the subject as he walked up to the platform edge, his normal reserve masking him again. Tony realised he had seen a side of Adam, that nobody had probably ever seen, except for perhaps Gwen.  
“They turn up when needed,” Tony replied.  
They both looked down the tunnel as they heard a rumble, which was becoming louder by the moment.  
“I think the train is here.”  
Bright lights signalled the train’s imminent arrival. It squealed to a halt and a single door flung itself open. Adam noticed it was a single carriage and driverless. They entered the carriage together, marvelling at the plush leather-covered seats and the polished walls of the compartment, looking as if it had come straight from an old movie. The train moved back the way it had come, almost before they managed to sit down. As they entered the tunnel the lights brightened, then Adam felt a strange twisting sensation, a little like when he apparated.  
Before they had the chance to get comfortable, the lights dimmed and they slowed to a halt in another identical station, this time the sign said ‘St Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.’ A booming female voice repeated the sign, adding, ‘Next stop, Bishops Bridge’.  
Almost immediately the train pulled out, entering the next stage of the journey. This took a good deal longer than the first one and Adam didn’t feel any strange sensations this time. They came to a savage halt, this time the station was bigger, with two sets of tracks, on either side of a central platform.  
“Bishops Bridge, all change.” Boomed the woman’s voice from all around them.  
They stepped from the train, the door slammed behind them, the train’s lights went out, and silence descended. A small sign with an arrow pointed up the metal staircase, another at the top pointed down the nearest tunnel stating, ‘This way to the Ministry of Magic’. Tony couldn’t remember seeing this sign the first time he came here, then again, he wasn’t actually looking for it. In fact, he couldn’t remember the staircase either.  
Another short walk and Tony had to wait for Adam, who had stopped in his tracks as the atrium opened up around him, stretching off into the distanced and upwards many floors. They moved forward towards the central auditorium where even more people were milling around. Any more forward momentum stopped as they arrived at a row of desks, each had someone sitting on an upright carved chair, with a box on the floor in front of them. On the desk was a small pile of parchments.  
“Wand,” He held out his hand, “and the reason for this visit?” Said a man in an odd multi-coloured three-piece suit sitting at the desk.  
Tony dropped his wand into the man’s hand. “To see the Minister for Magic.”  
“Thank you, Auror Garratt.” He dropped the wand into the box with several others, before looking at Adam, his hand out ready.  
Adam smiled at him. “I have three wands in my pocket, but they are part of a murder inquiry, so I can’t hand them over, chain of evidence, that sort of thing.”  
“Your wand, please?” His hand was still out. He looked at Tony, who was smiling and shaking his head.  
“I don’t own a wand.” Adam waited for an eruption as the man seemed to move backwards in his chair without actually moving.  
“Why don’t you have a wand?” He said, sounding more annoyed than surprised.  
“I’m a Muggle.” He said in a deadpan voice, Tony sniggered behind his hand.  
The man stared at him for a moment. “Well, that won’t do.” He looked away as one of the pieces of parchment on the desk, folded itself into a paper aeroplane and launched itself into the air, past their heads.  
“Please follow the departmental memo, both of you.” He looked at Adam as the aeroplane launched itself across the auditorium heading for a corridor. The man looked away while shaking his head, dismissing them both.  
They dodged other walkers as they walked across the huge open area, Adam looking around in amazement.  
“I have to be honest Tony, I was expecting some fireworks back there.”  
“Me too, I think we’re expected.”  
“Or we surprised someone.” Adam stopped and turned on the spot surveying the whole area.  
“Anything wrong Adam?”  
“Why does this seem somehow familiar?”  
“You’ve never been here before.”  
“I know, but it still seems familiar somehow.” Tony shrugged his shoulders and walked off after the memo.  
They headed down a long corridor to an area surrounded by more corridors leading off in a radial pattern; all had polished wrought-iron gates across them. The memo stopped in front of one and waited. Adam threw himself back as the corridor rushed towards them at breakneck speed, stopped at the gate which swung open, the memo entered and waited.  
“Hang onto the grabs,” Tony said grabbing a leather strap, that reminded Adam of the tube grabs. He reached up and grabbed two as the gates closed.  
The lift opened out into yet another corridor, this one had a floor inlaid with marble tiles, and the walls had smooth pillars every few meters, with obligatory paintings between them. A small runner ran up the middle towards three doors. The memo sped along towards the door, diving through the left-hand doors letter box. The door flew open and a tall thin middle-aged woman strode out.  
“Mr Garrett, Mr Croft, good to see you both. I’m Heather Fawcett Tyndall, do come this way.” Her clothes seemed to accentuate her height. She was fussily dressed, wearing a white shirt, buttoned up to the throat. The rest of her outfit that was visible was a white tight skirt to her knees and white pumps. Her brown wavy hair pinned close to her head, reminiscent, to Adam, of the early nineteen twenties flapper style. There was something about her eyes that Adam didn’t like, especially as the look was aimed in his direction.  
She led them into a large office, a huge desk and chair dominated the plain room, out of place compared to everything Adam has seen so far, except for a huge comfortable settee. The main wall had a large bow window showing a view of the huge atrium. Adam stood at the window looking down on the milling crowd. He scanned the room, realising that there were no paintings.  
“Please take a seat.” She gestured to the large settee under the windows, which neither took. “I’m afraid the Minister is too busy to see you both and it is Sunday, but he has appraised me on your progress, such as it is.”  
“Early days yet,” Adam said quietly as he studied the woman. Something about her was wrong; she was uncomfortable and refusing to look him in the eyes, which told him a lot. She sat down, keeping the huge desk between her and them, a defence  
“The Minister was expecting you to be much further on in your investigations by now.”  
“I think we are doing quite well,” Adam said. She smiled and tilted her head towards him. The smile was forced; stress at the corners of her mouth gave her away. “Seeing as we were both attacked and both of us were injured.”  
“Can’t have been that bad, you look remarkably healthy to me.”  
“You can thank the expert care we received at St Mungo’s for that.” Adams stared at her eyes, looking for some sort of insight. He watched her eyes flick to Tony, which he ignored.  
“That’s as may be. I hear you have put three wizards into Azkaban, why?”  
“They seem to be part of the investigation.” He saw her eyes flare for a moment, showing annoyance at Adam for continuing to do all the talking.  
“I was talking to Auror Garrett.” She replied with an edge to her voice.  
“I know, however, I was answering. These people are under investigation at this time.” Adam watched her lips press together, which showed she was getting angry.  
“Mr Arn is a respected Wizard.” She looked straight at Tony.  
“I agree,” Adam replied. “However, he was hurt by someone and had the imperious curse used upon him. You can’t blame a Muggle for that, or can you?” Her eyes flicked towards him for a moment.  
“Miss Woodrow is the daughter of a respected Minister.”  
“She used the Avada Kedavra curse upon me.” Tony finally spoke.  
“Your word against a Minister’s daughter will hold no weight Auror Garrett.”  
“Wand interrogation and her memories are all that is required, evidence I have.” Adam saw the flicker of annoyance in her eye at this comment.  
“Urian Adair is the son of a Macusa Minister.”  
“So?” Tony replied, sitting back in his chair. Adam could tell from the stiffness in his shoulders, he was not as calm as he was making out.  
“Do you have any Muggle suspects yet?”  
“No, because there are none, so far.” Tony almost spat the last words.  
“Have you spoken to any Muggles yet, because as far as I can tell, you have spoken to many Wizards?”  
“The facts would suggest that the murders were committed by Wizard’s or Witch’s unknown,” Adam said, knowing Tony was about to explode.  
The woman rocked back in her chair and took a deep breath, her cheeks red with anger.  
“Mr Croft, I have need to talk to Auror Garrett on a more personal nature, which is not for the ears of someone like yourself.”  
“A Muggle you mean?”  
“If you wish, could you wait in the corridor for a moment?”  
“As you wish,” Adam said, standing up, wanting to get out of the room as fast as possible. Once in the corridor, he slipped his hand into his pocket and pulled out his phone.  
“Call Tony Garrett.” He whispered. After a moment, he whispered again. “I’m listening.”  
Tony jumped as a voice spoke in his ear; luckily, Tyndall was looking down at the desk.  
“Well, you’ve made a name for yourself.” The soft voice replaced with a nasty snarl. “Three dead wizards, three dead Muggles, a Muggle in St Mungo’s who has since disappeared and you have the nerve to bring a bloody Muggle into the Ministry of Magic, what the hell are you thinking?” Her voice had risen to almost a shriek.  
“I didn’t kill anyone.” Tony snarled back, his anger rising. “The Muggle in St Mungo’s is my partner’s wife, who was hexed, the partner who this Ministry brought in to help solve the murders. He has every right to be here.”  
“How far have you got in finding the Muggles responsible for the murders then?”  
“The Wizard’s or Witches responsible for the murders are evading capture at this time.” He leant across the large desk, but due to its size had no effect on her.  
“Do you seriously expect me to believe a wizard or witch is responsible for these murders?”  
“I don’t care what you think, the facts are...”  
She talked over him. “You’re obviously not up to the job. It is quite clear where your loyalties lie and any chance of catching the Muggles responsible has long gone since you and that Muggle started barging around as if you owned the place.” Tony was about to speak, but she carried on. “I’m going to talk to the Minister to get this case closed. You are finished here; get the Muggle out of the Ministry. When we can be bothered, we’ll send someone to find you.”  
She waved her hand at him ending the conversation.  
“I haven’t finished,” Tony said his voice low and threatening.  
“Yes, you are Auror Garrett.” Her voice matching his. “This meeting is at an end. Get yourself and the Muggle out of the Ministry. At the very least, wipe his memory and clean up some of the mess you’ve caused.”  
Tony stormed out of the office, slamming the door behind him and finding a puzzled-looking Adam waiting down the corridor. He could see the skirts of a gown disappearing into one of the side rooms.  
“Let’s get out of here, now,” Tony said, still angry.  
“I agree” Adam replied, heading for the gated lift, which was still in position with the doors open.  
A Female voice spoke as they entered. “Next stop the Auditorium and exits.”  
They both grabbed at handholds as the gates slid closed. The lift set off at its usual ferocious pace again, taking them back the way they had only just come.  
Tony retrieved his wand from the man at the desk before heading for the fireplaces. He ducked under pulling Adam with him. Fire flowed around them for a moment and they were back in Diagon Alley. Edlyn was staring at them from behind her desk.  
“That’s was quick.”  
“If anyone asks, we’ve gone to Wales,” Tony said as he grabbed Adam’s arm and apparated out before Edlyn could say another word.


	21. Using the Force

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony repairs Matilda and they find they still have friends in the Ministry. Plus Adam seems to have history.

Using the Force.

Adam found himself standing on the lower deck of Aunt Matilda. Tony stormed across the deck and entered the wheelhouse, then into the sun deck, before throwing himself onto the nearest couch. Adam followed, but at a more leisurely pace to the windows behind the desk and looked out over the lake. Tony sat up.  
“Thought of something?” Adam asked.  
“Yes. I need to repair Matilda.” He said as he leapt from his seat. Once outside, he climbed down the rope ladder, which was still as Adam had left it. Adam watched him from the boat as he walked around the hull, pointing his wand from time to time. He could hear the boat groaning now and then as he repaired the damage.  
He came back up the ladder before stowing it away, before he entered the wheelhouse standing next to Adam, looking over the water, deep in thought.  
After a few minutes of silence, Adam broke it. “I heard everything she said.”  
“Good. I can’t work out why that happened?”  
“She seems determined to blame a Muggle for the murders.”  
“I know, but I don’t know why.”  
“While you were in the room, another oddly dressed old wizard came out and spoke to me.” Tony did his usual shrug he used when he did not understand where the conversation was going.  
“He tapped me on the head with his wand. Was he doing something?”  
Tony, concern on his face pulled his wand out and pointed it at Adams’ head. Sparks came from the tip that flew past his head.  
“What did he say?” He said after a moment, suspicion in his voice.  
“He said we have many friends in the Ministry, but we are making many enemies. He said we should endeavour to continue our brilliant work, regardless of the adversity we may face. That’s when he tapped me on the head with his wand. He then said we were getting somewhere because the number of people we are annoying was growing by the day. That’s when he heard you open the door and he went back to his room.”  
“He said nothing else?” Adam shook his head. “Did he tell you his name?”  
“No, but on the door of the room he came from, the sign said, Willard Endicott.”  
“He’s the head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation.”  
“And that means?”  
“A very powerful person, certainly friends with Luthor and a lot more powerful than that Tyndall woman, whoever the hell she was. Also, he’s a very close friend of Percy Weasley and his family.”  
“What did he do with his wand?” Adam braced himself for the worst.  
“He did you a great favour. He placed a ward on your person, which stops anyone from removing or tampering with your memories.”  
“Why would he do that? Can that be done?”  
“Removing Muggle memories is something we have an entire department for, and the people whose job it is, are called Obliviators. You heard the Tindall woman demanding that I remove your memories of everything to do with the investigation.” Tony paused before bringing the wand up a second time. “I have found an oddity.” He said after a moment.  
“What?”  
“I have no idea. I’d need to talk to someone with a great deal more experience than me.”  
“But something has been done to me?” Adam asked.  
“I’m not sure, but it seems that you might have been around magic before.”  
“Luthor said he knew me when I was a Detective Inspector which would have been a few years ago.” Tony shrugged. “Have my memories been tampered with?”  
“I have no idea, but it’s beginning to seem likely.”  
Adam paused and thought for a moment. “Were you going to remove my memories?”  
“Not for a moment, that’s the reason I got us out of the ministry as fast as I could, before she decided I wouldn’t do it and someone else would. We seem to have nowhere to turn now. The people I trusted this morning, now seem to be our enemies.” Tony said despondently.  
“This has happened to me on many occasions, it’s a good sign you’re standing on toes.”  
“But without the Ministry backing, there’s little I can do.”  
“They can’t stop me.”  
“They can put a huge amount of pressure on your government.”  
“I’m about to retire, remember.”  
Tony frowned. “You never told me why you were retiring?”  
Adam shook his head. “I’m not entirely sure why I am retiring, except that it seems to have been forced upon me.” Tony was about to speak, Adam continued. “When I find out, I’ll make sure you and Gwen are the first to know. What we need now is to find some friends.” Tony nodded, coming to the same conclusion.  
“As much as it pains me to trust the guy, I’m going to see if Luthor Crabbe has any ideas.”  
“Before you do that, do you have a picture of Hulda or Augustine?”  
Tony went to the desk and took a piece of parchment from a drawer. He touched his head with the wand and pulled a silver streak out, which he directed at the parchment.  
“Will this do?”  
Adam took it and placed it back on the desk, took his phone out, angled it onto the parchment and took a picture. He looked at the result. “Good enough. I’ll get her picture put out on the force’s intranet, the AI will recognise her if she’s been around any cameras, so that might give us a lead.”  
“You think that will work,” Tony asked sceptically.  
“It worked with Ramsey Arm.” He replied and Tony’s smile came back. “I’ve already said you magical folk have a bad habit of relying on your magic for everything, worse, I have as well. My guess is, our friend here,” he held the parchment up, “will be too arrogant to believe we Muggles can find her. Hopefully, that arrogance will be her downfall.”  
“It’s worth a try. You get that sorted and I’ll contact Luthor.”  
“I’ve already done it,” Adam said sitting down. “Direct link to the yard, the photograph should be on every forces noticeboard already.”  
“You do realise we're in Norway, will your call will be tracked, if it even works here.”  
“I’ll worry about that later and yes the phone works fine, even here.” He paused for a moment as Tony flicked his wand at the pot-bellied stove, watching it flare into life. “I’ve just realised, the phone worked inside your Ministry.” Tony stopped and looked up. “I never thought about it and that shouldn’t have happened.” He stood up and took the upright wooden chair from behind the desk, placing it in front of the stove. Adam watched puzzled but not surprised by anything he saw any more.  
After a couple of moments, Tony pointed the wand at his face; a light bluish haze came from the wand tip that surrounded his head. He then flicked the wand at the fire, which flared for a moment.  
“Luthor.” He said almost whispering. Adam sat up and stared intently at what was going on before getting up and moving around to get a better look at what he was doing. He gasped as Tony’s head turned towards him for a moment; his sightless eyes were glowing like two hot embers, malevolent evil looking. Tony looked back at the fire.  
“Luthor.” He said louder. “Yes we’re fine,” Tony said after a moment, having a conversation with someone unseen to Adam. “We’re safe for the moment, I think, Can you find out who Heather Fawcett Tyndall is. She didn’t tell us what she did.” There was a pause for a while. “I’ll wait for your call. Thanks.”  
Tony took a huge breath of air as if he had been holding his breath and sat back from the fire. The blue haze around his head drifted away and the glowing eyes died with it. He looked at Adam, his face, red from the heat of the fire. He rubbed his eyes and slumped forward in his chair, looking tired and grey.  
“Works like your phone, but a hell of a lot more tiring.” He said. “Luthor has never heard of Ms Tyndall and Percy does not have an undersecretary. He likes to do things himself.” Tony stood up and moved the upright chair back behind the desk before collapsed back onto the settee.  
“Luthor has suggested we stay put for now while he does some checking, he’ll contact us as soon as he has something.”  
“So we wait again.” Tony nodded. “Even though people can trace us and know where we are.” He continued.  
“Shit!” Tony Exclaimed. “I really am not very good at all this spying stuff.”  
Adam started to laugh. “When I was first told about you, I assumed you were the spy, until the little visit to St Mungo’s.”  
“Seriously?”  
“You didn’t help much with your little speech in the café.” Tony smiled at the memory. “Was that really only a couple of days ago, feels like weeks.”  
Both men jump as something hit the roof of the boat. Adam threw himself flat on the floor of the sunroom, his hand landing in something sticky, as a large owl flew in the door.  
“Freya. It’s great to see you.” Tony exclaimed as the owl landed on his shoulder.  
Adam looked up at him from the floor and pointed at the bird. “There’s something attached to its leg.”  
Tony reached around and pulled a roll of parchment from the owl’s leg, read it and looked at Adam smiling before reading it aloud. “I’ve taken the trace of Mr Croft, I suggest you stay put for now but move. I’ll be in touch shortly. Send the owl back. Signed Botilda.”  
“Stay put and move?” Adam asked regretting his question almost immediately.  
“Got it.” Tony walked up to the wheel, the owl wings flapping all over the place as it tried to stay on his shoulder. He tapped the wheel with his wand and the familiar sound of the boat’s strange engine started up. The deck below Adam lurched a little as the boat rose, making a sharp-banked turn.  
Adam walked over and looked out of the front window. Looking at Tony he found two huge yellow eyes staring unnervingly back at him. The water under the boat was flowing past at a fair clip as the engine note dropped to a deeper rumble.  
“I was going to head for Durmstrang.”  
“The school?”  
“Yes, but I expect whoever is involved will have people watching for us to resurface; especially now the trace is off.”  
“Did you know about this trace?”  
“No, but it makes sense for the ministry to make sure that the first time they work with the Muggle police, the person they send isn’t killed or worse.”  
“What could be worse than being killed?” Adam asked the look from Tony was enough. “Don’t tell me.”  
He left him at the wheel and slumped into the couch, closed his eyes and listened to the gentle wind as it rushed passed the boat, the gentle sway lulled him to sleep until his phone rang.

He sat up, found Tony opposite him slouched across the other settee, rubbing his eyes, having also just woken.  
Adam held his phone up and started to read aloud. “A woman answering the description of Hulda was seen on CCTV outside a shop that was being burgled. Although the shop had been entered, nothing was taken. Two other people were seen at the same time, one male, and one female. Both of them entered the premises. The police arrived within five minutes, by then the three had disappeared from the view of the CCTV cameras.”  
Adam looked at Tony, who was half listening as he looked out over the tree-covered vista.  
“Now the strange bit,” Adam said continuing. “Half an hour later, they found the dead body of a young man, who had died of blunt force trauma. The autopsy suggested that he has suffered the injuries from a fall from a tall building, at least eight stories high. However, where the body was found, there is no building over three stories tall.”  
“Please tell me a broom was found nearby,” Tony asked, grinning.  
“If a broom was found, nobody would report it, because it would mean nothing to the Muggles.”  
“I think we need to visit the site,” Tony said happy now they had something to do.  
“Hold on, there’s more. Another person was found, unconscious on a building ledge near the first body. The second person was female and the injuries received would suggest, she also fell from a height, but not high enough to kill them. She is in Brighton General, in a coma.”  
“If she’s still alive, I can probably fix her and then we can interrogate her.” He said sitting up.  
“You can fix someone in a coma?” Adam asked surprised.  
“Yes, Auror’s are trained in first aid and falls from brooms are common.”  
“We’d need to get the cooperation of the local police.”  
“Can that be done easily?”  
“We’ll soon find out won’t we,” Adam said smiling.  
“Let’s go then.”  
“Weren’t we supposed to stay here?”  
“The trace is off you, we can’t be followed.”  
“What happens if your friend in the Ministry needs to talk to you?”  
“My owl will find me.”  
“Seriously?”  
“Found me here didn’t she.”  
Adam shrugged his shoulders as Tony stood up. “Where is your owl?” He asked, looking around the cabin.  
“She had a rest and headed back to the Ministry.”  
“Before we go, can you answer me a question?” Adam asked not moving from the chair.  
“Anything.” Tony Replied.  
“Is it easy to control people with the curse you mentioned a few days ago?”  
“The Imperious curse.” Adam nodded. “It’s an easy curse, you just need to want to do it, however, it takes a fair bit of skill, not to cause permanent damage.” Tony thought for a moment. “There’s been a long history of wizards and witches using the imperious curse as an excuse for doing something bad. I was shown during my training how to negate its effects, but you could be caught off guard by a surprise attack.”  
“What about us Muggles?”  
“You have no defence against it at all.”  
“Could the murders be people that have been used for practice?”  
“Practice for what?” Tony Exclaimed.  
“That my young magician is the question.”


	22. Brighton

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to Brighton to meet a victim, or not.

Brighton.

After many apparitions, which Adam hardly noticed, and some considerable walking, they stood before the sergeant’s desk, inside Brighton’s main Police Station, while the sergeant scanned their notebooks. Now and then he would stop and look at them both frowning. The station was almost identical in style to Scotland Yard, desk sergeant guarding the way in, in person rather than a display, key codes at each door; only the layout was different.  
“You both check out. The super would like to see you both before he grants permission to see the files or talk to anyone.”  
Adam nodded and smiled at the Sergeant. A buzzer signalled that the door was now open.  
“Second door on the left.” He called after them.  
“Thank you, Sergeant,” Adam called as he entered the corridor, Tony right behind him.  
The second door was open as they arrived, they could see the uniformed Superintendent sitting at his desk, reading from the screen in front of him.  
“Come in gentlemen, take a seat.” He spoke with a West Indian accent, not strong, but noticeable. He had spoken without looking up, showing his bald head. “DCI Croft, good to meet you.” He stood up, almost dwarfing both of them. He was almost as wide as he was tall and he was tall. His shoulders seemed to roll as he leant forward and shook hands, “Likewise DCI Garrett.” Again, a perfunctory handshake. “I did a check and found that there is no DCI Garrett on any police force in the UK, but, your name does exist as a secondment.” He frowned at Tony.  
“That is correct. I’m on special liaison with the yard. I work for the Ministry in London.”  
“Ministry?”  
“That’s all I’m at liberty to say. However, if you’re worried about my presence, I have a phone number you can ring.” Tony reached out and turned the pad of paper on his desk round, took the supers pen and wrote a number down. “The number will be answered at any time.”  
“You expect me to ring this number?”  
“Yes.”  
“Who will answer?” The man’s dark face had a look of mistrust on it.  
“I have no idea. I was given the number by the Ministry and told what to do.”  
“Which Ministry are we talking about?”  
“I’m not at liberty to say right now.”  
The super’s eyebrows rose as he reached out and picked up the slim piece of glass identical to Adam and Tony’s, He pressed the numbers from the note onto the surface, before placing it back on the table.  
He opened his mouth to speak, then stopped and listened. Less than a minute later, he tapped the phone display, ending the call, without talking once. He stared at Tony.  
“Who the hell are you two?”  
“What did they tell you?” Adam asked leaning forward.  
“They answered me by my name, told me they were the PM’s private undersecretary and that I am to help you in any way I can, and I am not to impede your investigation.”  
Adam looked at Tony. “Case is still on then.” Tony grinned back.  
“Would you care to explain that comment?” The super asked.  
“We’ve been given conflicting information as to the nature of our investigation.” Adam Replied.  
“Would I be right in thinking something underhand is going on?”  
“The problem we have is where the underhandedness is coming from.” Adam smiled again.  
“Does it affect my force or my officers in any way?”  
“No, we’re here to look at the evidence and talk to the investigating officer.”  
“That’s all?”   
“Seriously, that is all. As soon as we found out what we need and had a look at the site, we will be out of your hair.”  
“If you find something that could adversely affect us in any way, I would appreciate the heads up?”  
“Which you will get if I find anything.”  
As they exited the superintendent’s office, they found a young uniformed constable waiting for them. He introduced himself as one of the officers who had been present at the discovery of the two people. He told them he would be their guide and answer any questions they had. Adam sized him up, knowing he wasn’t long out of training.

They left the station car park in a small electric car. Although the car drove itself, their guide sat in the driver’s seat staring out of the windscreen, arriving at the crime scene within a few minutes. People were milling around, out to lunch or shopping as they walked the last few yards, following the uniform.  
He stopped turned and pointed at a shop. “That’s the shop that was burgled, or at least entered, nothing was taken.”  
“What sort of shop is it”? Tony asked, trying to look through the dirty metal shutter that covered the window and door.  
“The shop has been empty for about a while. It was a second-hand furniture shop. No call for them anymore.”  
“So the shop was empty?”  
“Yes, but the way the rubbish was piled up it would suggest that someone had been sleeping rough in the shop. No idea for how long, but more than a couple days.” He pointed further up the pedestrian area. “You see the large concrete planter?” They both looked at the large planter full of colourful plants although smashed down on one side. “That’s where we found the dead guy. He was bent into a funny shape.”  
Andy and Tony looked at the building nearby. The position of the planter was nowhere near the buildings and the nearest were only three stories tall.  
“Puzzling, isn’t it? The autopsy said he fell from a hell of a height, we’ve been checking with airspace control, just in case he was trying to use a drone to get home and fell.”  
“I assume you’ve heard nothing?” Adam asked the man shook his head. “The second person was found where?” He asked as they followed him to the planter.  
“Follow me.” He headed along the wide pedestrian walkway, then through a short alley between two shops and out onto a small service road. He stopped in the middle of the road and pointed up at a two-story building with a flat-roofed ledge. “She was hanging over the edge of that parapet, spotted by a member of the public about six thirty.”  
“She wasn’t found straight away?” Adam said in surprise.  
“No, if the two happened at the same time, she was up there for nearly six hours. I saw the state she was in and I’m surprised she survived. She still might not.”  
“Was she carrying anything out of the ordinary?” Tony asked as he scanned the roofline.  
“Any belongings she had and her clothes are either with the coroner’s office or back at the station.”  
“Was anything unusual found here or where the other body was found?” Tony asked again.  
The officer shrugged and shook his head.  
“Are you sure nothing else was found, however stupid?” He pressed the point.  
“No Sir. We carried out a full search of the scene when we found the dead man and did a more detailed search after the woman was found, in case it was a crime. Then we got the autopsy on the man and the hospital report on the woman.”  
“How do we get up there to have a look?” Adam asked heading for the doorway under the parapet.  
“Not that way.” He called after Adam.  
He led them back through the alley to the shop front and in through the front entrance. He spoke to the owner for a moment before guiding them up a staircase at the back of the shop to a door. A key was hanging on a hook next to the door that he used to open it. They stepped out onto the flat unkempt roof, covered in windblown detritus.  
The officer stepped to one side, allowing them both to wander around the small area.  
“If you look up at the sloping roof.” He pointed to the roof above the door, they had just exited. “You can see the damage to the tiles and the blood stain where we think she landed. We think she must have slid the rest of the way, finishing up with one leg hanging over the parapet.”  
Adam took a run and shimmed up the sloping tiled roof while Tony wandered around the flat area. He stopped and smiled as he saw around the corner of the roof, propped up against the wall was a standard broom, the word Nimbus stood out in gold leaf at the top of the scuffed shaped handle. He held his hand out and the broom flew to him, the handled slapping against his palm. He walked back to the policeman waiting by the door, watching Adam slide back down the roof to join them.  
“Nothing up there.” He said looking at Tony and the broom.  
Tony turned to the officer. “Have you seen one of these before?”  
“It’s a broom.” He smiled and looked away.  
“I’ve been in this business a lot of years,” Adam replied. “And I know when someone is hiding something.” The officer looked uneasy but said nothing.  
“Come on we’re only here for another hour, have you seen one like this before?” While he was talking Tony moved round to one side, his wand slipped into his hand from his sleeve.  
“No Sir, it’s a broom.” He said as Tony waved the wand at the officer’s head.  
Adam asked again. “Have you seen another broom like this one?”  
The man’s eyes glazed over for a moment.  
“We found one near the dead man, it was in two pieces. We threw it in the back of a skip.”  
Tony’s wand moved again and the officer shook his head and looked at the two men. He stepped back as he found himself under such scrutiny.  
“I said can you take us to the hospital so we can see the injured woman,” Tony asked.  
“Sorry Sir, I must have phased out for a moment. I haven’t slept much lately.” He turned back towards the open doorway.  
A few minutes later, they were back in the car and moving towards the Royal Sussex hospital. Again, the officer sat in the driving seat, looking to his left at the broomstick that was now occupying the other front seat.

The journey to the hospital only took a few minutes. They walked through the hospital after electronically checking in at the desk, the officer stayed with the car and broom. A disembodied voice had told them where to go and how to get there.  
They walked past a row of quiet rooms until they came to the one specified. Looking through the small window in the door, they could see a young girl, no more than twenty years old connected to a large piece of monitoring equipment. They had passed the nurse’s station where one nurse, surrounded by a bank of monitors, allowing her to watch a multitude of patients at the same time. She had advised them to look and try not to wake the patient, but Adam had asked for a photograph to aid identification. Surprisingly, they were allowed to go to the ward on their own.  
“If I go in, I might bugger up the electronics. Also, I can’t do anything to help the girl with the cameras on.”  
“Wait, a moment.” Adam pushed the door open and entered the room, looked around and came back out. “The Camera is above the door and the monitoring equipment is on the left.” He whispered into Tony’s ear. “If you go to the right, I’ll cover you from the camera. You pretend to take a picture and do your wand stuff at the same time.”  
“Do my wand stuff?” Tony shook his head at Adam. “If the equipment fails, it’s on your head, OK.”  
Adam grinned back as Tony and stepped into the room, taking his phone from his pocket and moved around the side of the bed. Adam angled himself round to the bottom of the bed. Tony eyed the camera, seeing that if he kept his hands low, Adam’s body would indeed hide his movements.  
He held the phone up above the girls face while he moved his wand over her body. The machine in the corner recognised the changes in the woman’s condition and bleated in several tones. Tony stepped back in surprise as a voice came from a speaker on the equipment.  
“Please step away from the patient and the bed, a doctor is on the way.”  
Within seconds, a man in a white coat flew through the door.  
“What did you touch?” He snapped.  
“Nothing, my partner was about to take a photograph.”  
“Why would you want to take a photograph who are you?”  
“We’re police officers, trying to identify this woman,” Adam replied anger in his voice.  
He turned away, touched the displays, silencing the warning sounds.  
“She seems to be turning a corner, blood pressure is up, and respiration is better.”  
“How long will it take for her to come out of the coma?” Adam asked.  
“She’s in a medically induced coma, she had a head injury, and we wanted to make sure there was no internal bleeding. If she carries on like this, we’ll bring her out of the coma tomorrow.”  
“When will we be able to question her?”  
“We’ll contact you when that’s possible.”  
“I’ll give you my number,” Adam said looking at Tony for a moment. “Contact us before you wake her up, we need to be here.”  
“That might not be possible.” The Doctor replied offhandedly.  
Adams face moved to within an inch of the doctors. “We think she could be very dangerous, we believe she could be the one that killed the man in the centre of town the other day.” Tony said glaring at the doctor.  
“We have our own security and you can’t just walk out of a hospital.”  
Adam passed the doctor his police business card. “You will contact us before you wake her, understand.” He emphasised the word, ‘will’.  
They both walked out of the room without talking to the doctor again.  
As they passed the nurses station, Adam dropped another business card next to the nurse with the same instructions.  
They stepped into the lift and watched the doors close.  
“Why are you worried about her waking up? She hasn’t got a wand.”  
“The wand channels the power and focuses it, and we don’t need a wand to apparate.” He slipped his wand into his hand and pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket. He touched his temple with the wand, drew a silver bead from his head, and flicked it at the paper. The woman’s face appeared. Both items slipped back where they came from as the lift doors opened.  
Their driver was patiently waiting beside the vehicle. As soon as they seated themselves, he took them back to the station.


	23. Meet with a Squib.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The pair get help from an unusual source.

They were left in the hands of the duty sergeant, who took them down to a large storeroom, a sign proclaimed it to be the evidence storage. Adam saw two constables, who spoke little, but seemed to be keeping a close eye on them. The duty sergeant brought two boxes from a shelf and placed them on a desk in the centre of the room. Adam noticed that another constable who was trying to keep out of sight was sporting a huge bruise on his nose and two black eyes. He knew from experience that he had recently been head-butted in the face.  
“Do you have a room where we look at the content in private?” He asked the sergeant.  
“There’s a small storage room at the back, but usually we look at the box's contents here, to preserve evidence trails.”  
“Is the room unlocked?”  
“Yes, it is.”  
“Thank you, sergeant. We’ll call if you if we need assistance.” Adam picked up the first box and motioned for Tony to take the second.  
“Sir,” the sergeant called, “we know exactly what’s in those boxes.”  
“I should fucking well think so, this is evidence storage,” Adam replied angrily, staring down the sergeant who looked away. All the other officers had stopped what they were doing and watched.   
The two of them carried the boxes across the room and into the storeroom in silence, almost oblivious to the stares from around the room. Adam again noticed that the second constable was also sporting an injury. He had a single black eye and a large bruise on his jaw.  
“They were a little nervy weren’t they?” Tony asked as he set the box down on the desk.  
“I suspect they think were internal security and they are very worried, which means they’ve been up to something. Did you notice their bruises; they’ve been in the wars recently.?”  
“Which has nothing to do with us.”  
“I do hope not.” He said, opening the first box, which contained trousers, shirt, underwear, shoes and at the bottom was a wand, twisted and broken. There was a brown stain on the side to the tip. Adam used the shirt from the box to pick the wand up.  
“The brown mark will be blood.” He said looking at Tony. “What can you find out about the owner from this?”  
Tony slipped his wand out and pointed it at the tip and small ghostly images appeared, but they flickered and twisted. It was impossible to read the images because of the damage, declared Tony after a moment.  
There was a gentle cough from behind them, startling both men. A small blond uniformed policewoman had silently opened the door and entered the room with a hot drink in each hand. Her shoulder seemed to sag for a moment.  
“You’re not internal affairs, thank fuck for that.” The look on her face was that of relief and she did not seem the least bit bothered by the images that were flowing from the broken wand.   
Tony stopped what he was doing and turned to face the woman. “Who are you?”  
“Sorry, I’m Constable Holly Fairweather.” Her elfin face broke out in a smile as she used her heel to kick the door shut. She sounded as if she expected them to know who she was. “My mother works for the Daily Prophet, Stormy Fairweather.”  
A big grin broke out of Tony’s face. “Stormy’s a woman?”  
“Didn’t you know?”   
“No, some of the stories she’s written, made me think she was a he.”  
“What the hell is a Daily Profit?” Adam butted in.  
“Local wizarding newspaper.”   
“Aren’t you a wizard?” She asked surprised.  
“No, I’m a DCI from Scotland Yard; I don’t know what the hell he is.” He said pointing at Tony.  
“I’m an Auror.”  
She took a step back from the men, her eyes widening. Adam reached over and took the hot cups out of her hands.  
“What’s wrong?” Tony asked, noticing the change in the woman’s demeanour.  
“I met an Auror once, he was not nice.”  
Adam decided to change the subject. “What the hell are you doing here with your skills?”  
“I like the work and sometimes the people I have to work with.” She lifted her light brown fringe to one side uncovering a large purple bruise, surrounding a deep graze. Adam leant in for a close look.  
“You get that during an arrest.”  
“I got it in here, that’s why we all thought you were internal affairs.”  
“Did you have anything to do with the two injured out there?”  
She looked pensive and nodded.  
“Did you do that to them?” He pointed at the door, a big smile spread across his face.  
“Yes, all three of them deserved it.” She said defensively while looking away, a smile flashed across her face, which she didn’t try to hide. It was clear she was proud of herself.  
“Who won?”  
“I did, I always win.”  
“A little unfair to take on three guys with the skills you have?” Adam said, still smiling at the thought of this small young woman besting two let alone three large police officers. “I’m assuming you didn’t use a wand by the looks of their bruises?”   
“I can’t use a wand.” She replied.  
Tony looked around. “You can’t use a wand?”  
She looked away, embarrassed. “I’m a squib.” She replied her demeanour changing.  
“What’s a squib?” Adam asked, putting down the bloody wand.  
“A person who has magical parents, but has no discernible magic ability of their own,” Tony said saving her from saying it.  
“That’s me, the eternal dirty secret my mother and father keep to themselves.”  
“I’m sorry,” Tony said, opening the second box.  
“Don’t be sorry, it’s the reason I’m in the police. I keep away from your world, there’s nothing there for me.”  
Tony pulled items of clothing out of the box. “No wand.” He said as he dropped the clothes. Holly slipped her hand inside her jacket, slipped a wand out, and held it out to Tony.  
“I thought you can’t use a wand?” Adam asked.  
“I can’t, but this was the dead wizards. I’ve never been to Diagon Alley to get a wand like my brothers, so I took it from the scene. I assumed he wouldn’t need it and I thought maybe I have something.” She smiled at them.  
Tony took the wand and interrogated it, which took less than a minute. He handed it back to her.  
“The wand doesn’t have an owner, you never know. If you find out you have something, please let me know, for yours and my sake. The owner of the broken wand was Gabrielle Lynwood, I don’t know what her wand usage was.  
“I thought you needed the wandmaker to do that?” Adam asked.  
“No, I didn’t trust myself at first, but Pinne has confirmed everything I found on the others. This wand was owned by Eric Clerkin, deceased and the wand knows it. The wands last spells were Confringo, Expulso and Impedimenta, that was used several times.”  
“What does that mean?” Adam asked.  
“It seems likely they were fighting each other, or an unknown third party. We won’t know until we get to talk to Miss Lynwood.”  
“Are these spells normal in themselves?” Adam asked.  
“The spells used would suggest someone who is inexperienced in wands usage, or not used to defending themselves. They didn’t even use a Patronus.”  
“She’s not an Auror.”   
“Good point, but the Patronus is the most basic and probably the best form of protection you can get and we're all taught it.”  
“So, untrained and running around on a broomstick, trying to fight or protect themselves. I wonder what this is telling us.”  
“We came here looking for Hulda Scrivens, but we seem to have gained another crime.”  
“We need to talk to Miss Lynwood when she comes round,” Adam said looking at Holly. “Are you confined to the station at the moment?” She nodded. “Do you fancy babysitting the woman in the hospital?”  
“Get me out of here for a while, yes please.”  
“I’ll go and have a word with your super. Get yourself ready to go to the hospital.”

***

Adam tapped on the Supers open door. The room was identical to all the rooms at Scotland Yard. Adam realised that it was depressingly bland.  
“Can I help you?” He asked as Adam stepped into the room.  
“I found out about your little problem.” Said Adam taking the seat, making it clear he was staying put for a while.  
“Didn’t take you long to work that out.” There was an air of resignation about the deep man’s voice.  
“Half of your people sporting huge bruises and not out working and nobody’s talking to each other. I’ve been around the block a few times.” He paused to let that sink in. “Also young Fairweather’s a little engaging.”  
“She is that, but she has a huge temper and the ability to back it up.”  
“Tough little bugger to take on three trained men and do that much damage.”  
“It’s not the first time either. I cannot doubt her ability and bravery, she puts most men twice her size in the shade, however, she is a bloody genius at crime scenes. She sees things way before forensics, so much so, that we now send her in first and forensics second. Keep that to yourself. If it weren’t for that, she would have been sacked a long ago.”  
“What caused the latest fracas?”  
“We had trouble in the town centre last weekend, usual drunkenness. They were told to keep a low profile and not get too involved. She didn’t listen and waded in, as usual, expecting the other officers to back her up, but they did as I asked. She got walloped taking on a guy who was a lot tougher than even she expected.”  
“So she thinks they let her down.” The super nodded.  
“She has way too much gung-ho and her martial arts background make her bloody dangerous.”  
“Surely all your officers have martial arts training.”  
“They do, but like you, she has taken it much further and is a bloody expert, she also teaches.” Adam’s eyes grew larger at this comment. “I checked you both out, or at least I tried to. Your friend has no background.”  
Adam did not reply to his comment. “Can I assume things have been allowed to fester for a while then?”  
“Yes, my fault, I should have sorted it out, but I was busy with the dead man and the one in the hospital. Talking about bodies, did you get what you needed?”  
“Mostly, that’s the real reason I’ve come to see you. I need someone to keep watch on our young lady in the hospital, they are bringing her out of the induced coma tomorrow morning. Can I suggest that young Fairweather does that? We’ll need a woman present when and if we interview her, anyway.”  
“Good, get her out of here for a couple of days.”  
“Now the bad bit. I am going to talk to Commissioner Nugent at Scotland Yard to get the paperwork sorted to have the dead man and his belongings moved to London. Also, I’m going to have the woman moved into our custody when she leaves the hospital; again, I’d like Fairweather to do that.”  
“Seriously.”  
“I’m afraid so.”  
“The commissioner of Scotland Yard is authorising all this?” He asked disbelief in his voice. “Who the hell are you actually working for?”  
“Me, I work for the Yard, young Garrett is a different matter altogether.”  
“He mentioned he was from the ministry, he’s way too young to be a real DCI.”  
“Tony has good genes that make him look a lot younger than he really is. People make that mistake, and as we’re being honest with each other, Tony is someone I hope I never get on the wrong side of, he has a level of dangerous you would not believe.”  
“What’s his real job?”  
“He’s a policeman, but not in any context you or I would understand.”  
The super put his arms on the desk and leant towards Adam. “You been here for less than an hour and I’ve never seen procedure twisted like this before.”  
Adam nodded. “I’ve broken, just about every rule there is in the last couple of days and not one person in charge has even blinked, and I know they are watching.” Adam paused for a moment. “At least we’ve taken a few problems off you for now.”  
“For now, please don’t bring them back, we are so understaffed. We have a football match this weekend and I need to draft in at least another twenty bodies.”  
“What about a private company?”  
“Use them all the time, but they cost and we have a reducing budget.”  
“We have similar problems, no one wants to be a policeman anymore, and those that do are so far from the right people...” He left the sentence hang.  
“I agree, that’s why young Fairweather is usual, she actually wants to be a policewoman and she’s bloody good, for all her indiscretions.”  
Adam nodded. “We’ll be back here in the morning to talk to our patient when she wakes up.”  
“When will you take her to London?”  
“As soon as she’s able. I’ll make sure you’re informed before we do anything.”


	24. The Commissioner.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Back at Scotland Yard, the Commissioner tells Adam some things that surprise him.

The Commissioner.

 

They left Brighton Police Station and Tony brought them back to Aunt Matilda where they spent a comfortable night after he readied the spare room. After breakfast, they came back to London. Tony dropped Adam off at the usual alleyway near to Scotland Yard before he carried on to the Auror’s office in Knockturn Alley. 

Adam ran into the building, the AI recognising him as usual, opening doors for him as he arrived. As he headed for his office, he found the commissioner waiting for him, not a good sign thought Adam. He smiled warmly, which Adam again thought was another bad sign.  
“DCI Croft, Come into my office.”  
He followed the uniformed man, who was quite a bit shorter than Adam was, his uniform pressed to within an inch of its life as usual.  
“Please take a seat.” He said as he closed the door to his office. Adam sat, waiting patiently.  
“I thought we needed to have a chat.” He said walking around the room to his own chair and seating himself. “You’ve done nothing wrong I know of, but some things have come to light and I think I need an answer.”  
“Fire away Sir.” He kept his voice light.  
“Our phones keep a constant watch on what officers are doing, a safety feature that was added a few years ago.”  
“Yes, Sir, I understand that.”  
“The software and location records are extremely accurate. I assume you understand that if the software or more likely the AI, sees something odd in a police officer’s movements, or call patterns it reports to your commanding officer. Also, you may not know the phone monitors your voice in real time, for stress patterns and the like.”  
“I did not know all of that.” Adam felt uneasy.  
The commissioner looked at Adam before continuing. “It’s surprisingly very accurate. Your commanding officer will sometimes receive alerts, or rather, his team does, telling him an officer is under stress and could be in trouble. If he thinks it’s appropriate, checks will be instigated. I’m sure you will have received these alerts from time to time.”  
“Yes, sir, I have, many times.”  
“Also, if your phone is away from the officer for any serious length of time, a similar alert is sent. I am your commanding officer. I decided this because of some of the possible political ramifications.”  
“Can I assume you don’t trust me?” Adam asked, getting annoyed.  
The commissioner smiled. “That never crossed my mind, however, the very nature of the case warned me to take an interest in this investigation, just in case you were in danger, I could get resources to your aid much quicker than a Chief Super.”  
The commissioner went quiet, giving Adam a chance to talk, which he did not take, he felt the pit of his stomach drop as he realised where this was going.  
“Now, back to the problem at hand, you see Adam, according to your phone you were in Northern Sweden or Norway at least twice, you were absent from your phone for several hours, while Garrett’s phone showed he was somewhere in South Africa. A call was made to the cloud sending and receiving information from somewhere in North Norway.” He stared at Adam again, waiting for a reply which he didn’t give. “Stress patterns reported by your phone suggest you have both been under extreme duress on several occasions.” The intense stare never faltered. “I called in the company that looks after the software, assuming we had a serious glitch. They could find nothing wrong with the software. They are still here running extensive diagnostics. Would you care to elaborate?”  
“Truthfully?” The commissioner nodded. “No.”  
“That really is not an acceptable answer.”  
“I thought you might say that.”  
“Adam, how could you and Garrett have possibly travelled from the UK to Norway, then to South Africa and back in a single morning?”  
“In all honesty Sir, I do not have an answer that would make sense.” Adam’s mind was working overtime looking for an answer that could or might work.  
“The information is stored on your phone is also stored in the cloud. If someone goes looking, it could become public knowledge. I need something I can use to defend you if this gets out.”  
Adam decided on an answer that might give him some breathing space.  
“I will give you the information on what I have been doing since the start of this case, upon the explicit orders of the PM.” The commissioner sat back and crossed his arms, he then rubbed his brow, signalling his tiredness.  
“I contacted the PM’s office yesterday letting them know about the software problem after reviewing some of it.” Adam’s head snapped up to look at the Commissioner.  
“There seems to be a lot of that going on at the moment,” Adam replied with a resigned air, even less sure where this was going.  
“Yes, I know, a certain Brighton Police Superintendent called wanting to know what the hell you were doing on his patch.”  
“Another thing I was supposed to warn you about, but circumstances have...” He held his hands up, not finishing the sentence, the Commissioner shook his head.  
“In all of my not inconsiderable years on the force, have I ever been put in such an impossible position. Somehow I think you’re in a very much worse position than I am.”  
“What did the PM’s office have to say?”  
The commissioner smiled and shook his head again. “You’re making huge waves and upsetting a lot of powerful people, which is exactly the reason you and young Garrett were chosen to lead the investigation, apparently. They told me to ignore the things like phone records as they will be put right in the end.” He stopped and leant forward. “And if the records are not right, then it’s not the end.”  
Adam laughed. “You weren’t talking to the PM’s office; you were talking to Tony Garret’s Ministry person.”  
“How can you know that?”  
“That’s exactly the sort of strange comment I’ve come to expect from them.”  
“These powerful people...” The commission was saying until Adam interrupted.  
“Are very, very powerful, and not necessarily from the UK and not necessarily our friends.” The humour had dropped out of his voice, not missed by the Commissioner.  
“I’m going to assume you can’t tell me any more, so let’s change the subject. Why were you interested in a dead person in Brighton?”  
“We weren’t so much interested in the person per se, rather the manner they died.”  
“And the woman you want moving from the hospital.”  
“Again the manner she became hurt is the interesting part and the reason we want her here for questioning.”  
“What happens after the questioning, does she disappear like the last one?”  
Adam felt uncomfortable. “Probably.” He replied.  
“Where are they sent?”  
“The Ministry has its own prison, apparently.”  
“What about trials and juries?” The commissioner’s voice rose in concern.  
“I’m assured they have them and they are above board and I have no reason to disbelieve that.”  
It was clear from the commissioner’s whole persona he did not like the things he was hearing. He sat back in his chair and took a deep breath. “Is there anything else I should know about?”  
“Nothing that would make any sense at this time. I’ll need the authority from you to bring the two up from Brighton.”  
“When will the girl be ready to leave the hospital?”  
“I’m expecting a phone call this morning.”  
“I’ll not take any more of your time then. I’ll get someone to do the paperwork and get it off to Brighton.” He stood up and guided Adam out of his office. As he walked away, he realised the Commissioner was following him down the corridor. He gestured to Adam to stop.  
“As of this morning,” he whispered into Adam’s ear, “you were officially retired from the force, so in real terms, you are no longer a serving policeman,” Adam said nothing, not understanding where this was going. “I’m under instructions, while you were a serving police officer, to say nothing about what I am about to tell you.” Adam turned towards him, suddenly very interested. “My instructions do not mention what happens if you are no longer a policeman.”  
“Should I be even more worried than I am already?”   
The commissioner raised his eyebrows. “The police force nor I were involved in your enforced retirement.”  
“What?” He exclaimed.  
“Your anger at me and the force is fully justified, however, it is not our fault and I have fought tooth and nail, firstly to keep you on the force and secondly the reason why.”  
“Who the hell is forcing me out?”  
The commissioner paused for a moment. “I am almost certain that the people demanding your release or retirement are the same people you are currently working for.” The Commissioner stepped back towards his office and stopped at the door. “Thank you, Adam, please take care and watch your back. We may have our differences, but I really do not want you to be a statistic. I’ll speak to you later.” He shouted as he entered his office and closed the door.  
Adam stood in the short corridor, the sounds of life continuing around him, his thoughts swirled around, unable to settle on what was going on. Everything he thought and expected was wrong, the people he trusted were no longer to be trusted, the untrusted were to be trusted, maybe he thought.  
Adam dashed back to his office, Tony had his feet up on the desk, in the usual pose struck by Adam, gazing at the electronic information board.  
“Just had a phone call from Holly. They’re bringing her out of the coma after lunch.” Tony looked up at the clock. “We’d better get a move on.” He said as he stood up.  
“We need to leave here first and sign out.”  
“Understood, we’ll use the alleyway again.”  
“Good, if she wakes up earlier, she’ll apparate out.”  
“She can’t, I made sure of that yesterday before the alarm went off. However, if she’s pissed enough, she could do some harm to Holly.”  
“Without a wand?”  
“Yes, the wand is just a focus. If she’s skilled enough, she could still do someone without magic a lot of harm.”

***

They were just about to exit the main doors when the duty sergeant called them from the large display.   
“Adam. Before you go, the commissioner called down to let you know about a young girl in Brighton. Does that mean anything?”  
“Yes, it does, we're on our way there now.”  
“The commissioner has sorted the paperwork to have a body brought up here and then onward to a location only you know of and the transferral of a woman, again to here, upon her release from hospital.”  
“Good news for once. We may bring the girl back ourselves. Thanks.” He yelled as he ran to catch up with Tony.

***

Back in Brighton, Adam stopped to take things in. He had never rushed around like this before and he felt the need to take a moment to catch up with himself. He put things straight in his head, following Tony into the hospital and then on to the ward.   
Holly seated in the corner, looking very bored, the steady beep from the machinery the only noise. She smiled when Tony came in.  
“When does the show start?” Adam asked, pushing his way into the small room.  
“The doctors are coming down at ten o’clock. She hasn’t moved a muscle while I’ve been here.”  
“You’ve been here all night?”  
“Yes. I slept in the chair here.”  
“We have the authority for the body of Eric Clerkin to be moved to Scotland Yard for another autopsy, and then on to the Ministry. Tony has contacted the Ministry and his parents have been called.”  
“Do you know why he was fighting or whether he was with her or someone else?” She asked.  
“That’s the reason we need her awake and in our control. If she’s with Scriven’s, she’ll be dangerous, if she’s not, I want to know what the hell she was doing flying over Brighton on a broomstick and how the hell did she crash?” Tony asked.  
They chatted aimlessly for a while, listening to Holly explaining her background. Watching her three elder brothers going to Hogwarts, then the disappointment of her parents when she never received her Hogwarts letter.  
Finally, Tony asked her for the wand.  
He took his own wand out and did his usual interrogation. Translucent flickering images appeared a few times.  
“What were you practising?”  
“I tried to talk to it.” She said, looking embarrassed. “I’ve no idea what to do with it, my brother used to tell me that the wand chooses the wizard, so I tried to bond with it.”  
“You’ve done something to it.”  
“What!” She exclaimed.  
“I’ve no idea, but yesterday this wand was ownerless, today it has an unknown owner. It’s not strong, but it’s bloody strange, then again, I’m not that experienced, so it could be normal.” He handed the wand back to her. “I’ll get someone at the ministry to have a look.”  
The door opened, forcing Holly to shove the wand out of sight, guiltily. The first one in was the doctor who saw them the day before, he was with another white-coated male; who they assumed was another doctor.  
“We switched the drugs off a couple of hours ago; she should be awake any moment if she isn’t already.  
All of them looked towards the bed and saw that the girl’s eyes were open and flicking from person to person.  
Adam grabbed the arm of the Doctor and pushed him out in the doorway.  
“I want words with you, now.”  
He waited for the door to close. “You fucking idiot,” Adam shouted angrily, his clenched hand with his index finger an inch from the Doctor’s nose. “We were discussing the case in there, and we just mentioned the person she was with was dead. Now she knows.” The doctor’s mouth opened unable to talk at the sheer force and anger from Adam. “Who the hell do you think you are putting a serious investigation in jeopardy?” Adam didn’t give him a chance to talk. “I will put a serious written complaint through to your bosses. If this case falls through, because of your stupidity, I will make sure you end up in court. You are not allowed back in this room, get someone here to do your job, now.”  
Adam turned away and went back into the ward, closing the door firmly in the doctor’s face.  
Inside the room, the other Doctor checked the equipment before going to the girl and giving her the once over.  
“You have been lucky. The scans we took when you were brought in looked as if you could have had a bleed on the brain, but the scan we did yesterday evening showed no bleed. We need to keep you in for observation for a couple of days.”  
“Can she talk?” Adam asked barely concealing the anger in his voice.  
“I can talk.” The girl whispered from the bed.  
“Good enough, you can leave now, doctor.”  
“I’m sorry, I need to do...” He was stopped by Adams face being in his.  
“We’ll call you when we have conducted our interview.”  
“This is against hospital rules; I don’t know who you people are?”  
Adam slipped his phone out and held it up in the face of the doctor, the force logo stood out clearly along with his name and rank.  
“Wait outside, or go to the nurse’s monitor station.” He turned to Holly. “Officer Fairweather, go with the doctor and ensure he has no microphones listening in at the nurse’s station.”  
“Yes, Sir.” She said getting up and bustled the agitated doctor out of the room.  
Adam sat on the end of the bed while Tony sat on the chair vacated by Holly.  
“I’d like to apologise for the way you found out that Eric Clerkin had died.”  
“I saw him fall, he was a lot higher than me, so I’m not surprised and I’m not that unhappy about it either.” Her voice was quiet and sounded dull. Adam was unsure whether it was the drugs, making her sound like that.  
“How did he fall?” Tony asked.  
“He was hit by a spell from a wand. I saw the flash and then him falling.”  
“Do you know who it was?”   
“Hulda Scrivens.”  
“What was the spell?”  
“I don’t know.”  
“Why were you running from Miss Scrivens?”  
“She was trying to kill me.”  
“You know what I meant.”   
She seemed to sink back into the bed, saying nothing.  
“We can do this the easy way or I can interrogate you with a wand, or we can get you moved to a less pleasant place to do the interview,” Tony said keeping his voice neutral.  
Tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t, she did something to me, I can remember, but I can’t say it.”  
Tony slipped his wand out and pointed it at the girl. Adam reached up and placed his hand over the camera lens. He stared at the coloured light that flickered out from the tip of the wand to envelope her head.  
He put his wand away, looked at Adam and shook his head. “Someone has done a job on her. I don’t want to try putting it right until she’s been seen by someone at St Mungo’s.”  
“How come you’re telling him?” She Asked Tony.  
“Because I know all about your world and my wife was recently in St Mungo’s, put there by your friend Hulda,” Adam replied.  
“Hulda is no friend of mine.”  
“Are you sure you don’t know the spell she used?” Tony asked.  
“No. I was...” She stopped again, pain showing on her face as she tried to talk. Tears dripped down her cheeks onto the pillow. “I can’t talk.”  
“Don’t worry for now,” Adam said. “Tony, can you get her ready to travel now? I’ll go see the doctor and get her released.”  
Adam stepped out of the ward, leaving Tony to get the girl ready, looking for her clothes in the small cupboard, while she extricated herself from the bed, leaning on the bed frame, still quite sore.   
Tony heard her wince when she stood up. “Do you want me to get rid of the pain?” He asked.  
“No, the pain is keeping me going. I want to be in a proper hospital.”  
“Your clothes aren’t here.” He said closing the small cupboard. He could hear raised voices from outside in the corridor. The door flew open and both of the doctors came in.  
“She shouldn’t be out of bed” Yelled the first one storming across the small room. Gabrielle was removing the leads from her body, which connected her to the monitoring machine, which was now starting to beep in multiple tones. He grabbed the leads from her and tried to aim her back towards the bed.  
“I am not getting back into that bed.” She said with feeling.  
“I’m your doctor and I am telling you to get back into that bed, you are not well.”  
“The young lady will be signing herself out of the hospital,” Adam said from behind the doctor.  
“You cannot make that decision without a court order, which I will stop.” The doctor yelled as he turned towards Adam.  
“If the young lady wishes to sign herself out, you have no choice but to agree,” Adam replied, his voice dropping and becoming more reasonable. “Now, Miss Lynwood has made a request to us that she wishes to leave and be taken to another hospital to complete her treatment.”  
“What hospital?” Asked the doctor, his voice echoing Adam’s, dropping down in its anger.  
“That would be the Ministry’s Hospital,” Interrupted Tony, “in London.”  
The doctor looked at Gabrielle.  
“I’m going with them.” She said, her voice sounding full of determination.  
“I really must impress on how dangerous movement at this time is.” The doctor spoke earnestly to the girl.  
“I know, but the Ministry hospital is better suited to my problems than this one.”   
The doctor closed his eyes and shook his head. “I don’t know how they can be better suited than a trauma unit like this.” His voice had changed, sensing defeat. “At least let me arrange for an ambulance with someone on board who can keep an eye on you.”   
“Thank you, doctor, but we have our own transport, which is much faster than an ambulance,” Adam replied.  
Holly squeezed into the room, pushing the original doctor to one side and started helping Gabrielle with the leads.  
“One thing, where are my clothes?”  
“I assume the police have them.” Replied the first doctor looking at Adam, who replied with a stare that had the effect on the doctor he wanted.  
“I’ll get some things together that she will need for the journey.” He turned and walked away.


	25. Back to St Mungo's.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A patient tells all.

Back to St Mungo’s.

 

The four of them stepped out of the hospital, Adam and Tony supporting Gabrielle, while Holly, holding an armful of medication given to her by the doctors, brought up the rear. Adam led the way to an alley leading away from the hospital to a bin store.   
“Take her to St Mungo’s, then come back and get us.” He said to Tony, allowing him to take Gabrielle’s weight on his arm, before disappearing.   
“What do we do now?” Holly asked.  
“Wait for Tony to come back for us.”  
“I mean after that?”  
“Depends on when St Mungo’s will allow us to question the young girl.”  
She pulled her phone out, Adam took a deep breath and shook his head as he realised she was wearing her digital notebook and recording. “We could be waiting a while, is it all right if I call a friend of mine to see if she can join me in the Leaky Cauldron?”  
“You’ve been to the Leaky Cauldron?” He asked.  
“Have you?” She replied more surprised than Adam.  
“A few times now.”  
“My mother used to leave me there while she took my brilliant brothers shopping. I never went down Diagon Alley though.” She replied forlornly. “Mother said I wasn’t allowed.”  
“It’s quite an amazing place, always different every time I see it.”  
The phone beeped, she smiled at Adam and started talking to someone, while still juggling the bag from the hospital. Adam took it from her as Tony re-appeared.   
“Ready?” He asked stopping and waiting when he saw Holly on the phone.   
“Not really, Holly has her own police notebook that is on and recording. I’m at a loss how I’m going to sort this out.”  
“Don’t worry, it’s a Ministry problem.”  
“Another thing, the Commissioner mentioned that he had reviewed our phone information,” Tony looked up.  
Holly put her phone back in her pocket and looked at them. “That was weird. Tony, can you drop me off at the Leaky Cauldron?”  
“I’m getting used to weird,” Adam said. “Anything we should be worried about?”  
“I don’t know, but when I mentioned you two by name, my friend sounded panicky and said she needs to meet me straight away.”  
I’ll drop you off on route then me and Adam can go up to the hospital. We’ll meet you back at the Cauldron later.” He grabbed their arms and Diagon Alley appeared around them, their appearance in the busy street attracted almost no attention, except for those in the way, who went around them, continuing on their way.   
Holly was now on her own as Tony and Adam disappeared. She looked around at the strange people for a moment and froze when she saw a woman come out of a shop, which wasn’t a shop, but the Daily Prophets office. Holly realised that the woman’s embroidered bag and colourful hat was that of her mothers. The last thing she needed was a showdown here. She turned and ran down the little corridor and into the Leaky Cauldron, glancing back at the Alley to make sure she hadn’t been seen, wishing she could browse the shops, just once.

***

Adam stood in the now familiar foyer of St Mungo’s as the wave of nausea passed almost unnoticed. In front of them was the matron, her hand on her hips and a stern look on her face.   
“You two are nothing but trouble. She’s on the first floor.”  
“Can we interview her?” Adam asked.   
“Hex removal is a delicate process, Mr Croft. By the way, Gwen is resting comfortably in my home.” She turned away to leave Adam feeling bemused and a little guilty.   
“Your home?” He called after her.  
She stopped and looked back. “You don’t think I live in this hospital. Some of us have lives outside the Ministry.” She shouted back as she stormed off.   
“Adam looked at Tony and found a young nurse standing next to them, smiling. “Miss Lynwood wishes to see you both.” Adam looked at Tony.   
“She wishes to see us.” He turned to the nurse. “Lead on.”  
She walked off up the stairs to the first floor, gesturing for them to enter a small room. Gabrielle was lying in a bed much like the one she had just left in Brighton, but without the bank of machinery bleeping away.  
“Thanks for bringing me here Mr Garrett.” She said as they sat down on the chairs that were placed ready. “Apparently the fall didn’t do too much damage. I think my head might be a little tougher than I thought. My leg and arm are fixed.”  
“You know Tony?” Adam asked.  
“We went to Hogwarts, he’s a couple of years older than me.” Adam looked at Tony, his eyebrows raised.  
“We’re not exactly a big community, everyone sort of knows everyone, mostly, and you didn’t look like that at school.” He said to her.  
She smiled at him. “I grew up?”  
“What about the spell on your memories?” Asked Tony.  
“The matron said it was a crude attempt to hide my memories that have now been removed, although they want me to stay just in case something else was added.”  
“What do you mean by added?” Asked Adam.  
“Sometimes a simple spell can be put on someone, which can mask another deeper spell. Mungo’s takes no chances, they’ve been caught before.” Tony said, turning back to the girl. “What can you tell us?”  
“Not a lot, me and Eric met about six months ago, we were both working in Hogsmeade, which was pretty boring most of the time. The job doesn’t last all year, when the school is closed for the holidays, most of us have to go home. Eric told me about a long-term job in London, not far from here.”  
“Hampton Wick Station by any chance?” Adam asked.  
She looked at him. “How did you know that?”  
“I’m good at guessing, please continue.”  
“Eric said we could get a job down at some market near Hampton Wick, so we left and flew down one night. We found this girl, who Eric knew and a couple of her friends living in a disused building, they weren’t living very well. Eric introduced her as Hulda and her friends as Dulcy and Urian.” Adam nodded. “Anyway, she explained that a market was about to come to town and we could get jobs that could be permanent, as long as we didn’t mind travelling.”  
“The Moon market,” Tony said.  
Her head spun towards him. “You two seem to already know all this?”  
“Please continue Miss Lynwood,” Adam said.  
“Anyway, we had little money, but it was comfortable enough, so we stayed, waiting for this weird market to turn up. That was when Hulda talked about the...” She stopped and looked at Adam.  
“Muggle problem, perhaps?”   
“Yes. She was going on about a prophecy that would solve the problem, but we need to help it along. She said we needed to gain followers willing to do what was needed.”  
“And did she?”  
“A man turned up, he wasn’t like your average wizard, he had money, you could tell by his clothes.”  
“What did he look like?”  
“No idea, he wore a mask, and he didn’t talk a lot, letting Hulda drone on mostly. Several more turned up, one quite large group. They never stayed, but they had plenty to say, mostly about how horrible the Muggles were.”  
“What did you think to all this?”  
“I have Muggle friends from before I went to school, they are, hopefully, still my friends, so I didn’t agree with them being bad, but I do agree with the things they are doing to the world and our lands.” Her head dropped down as she thought. “Then Hulda brought an old guy to see us, he was out of work because of something to do with dragons. She started asking him to help, but he argued with her, saying she was wrong. She turned her wand on him. I think she used the imperious curse on him, I’m not sure, but that’s what it seemed like. That’s when I decided it was time to leave.”  
“Did you know the man’s name?”  
“I think she said it was Ramsey something.” They both nodded at her. “Anyway, she and one of her friends took him away. Is he all right?”  
“He was found not far from here, a little worse for wear, but fine,” Said Adam.  
“I thought she’d killed him.”  
“What happened when you decided to leave?”   
“I told no one, just waited until I was alone, grabbed a broom, and flew away.”  
“Why didn’t you apparate?” Adam asked.  
“I can’t apparate very far, a couple of miles at most. I find brooms easier.”  
“Then what happened?”  
“I was flying away, not sure of the direction when I realised I was being followed, it was Eric, he was calling me, telling me to come back. I ignored him and tried to fly faster, which wasn’t difficult as the broom I had was a pretty good one.” She paused looking at them both. “I saw the sea ahead of me and dived down over a lot of buildings, but they weren’t very tall and he followed me down. Then I realised that he wasn’t alone, Hulda was with him. She was screaming at him to get me. Then he used his wand, which was pointless because I knew Eric was crap, but she wasn’t, her spells were dangerous and aimed right at me. I kept low and dodged around buildings, but they tried to come at me from two sides. Then I saw a bright flash and I heard Eric cry out, she had missed me and hit him. I watched him fold up and fall; he was a long way above me. Just before he hit the ground, something hit me and I can remember nothing after that until I saw you all standing around my bed.”  
Tony pulled his wand from his pocket and was about to touch her temple, he already had a small bottle ready in his other hand. There was a polite cough from behind them, they turned and found the Matron watching them.  
“I know you both have jobs to do, but this young lady needs her rest. Would it be possible for you to come back tomorrow to take her memory and continue talking to her?”  
“As long as we don’t end up in Africa again,” Adam said as he stood up.  
She wagged her finger at him. “Come back in the morning.” She turned and stepped through another doorway that had appeared on the wall beside her. They looked back at Gabrielle, who waved from her bed, then turned and left through the real door.  
“I’ve spent the last ten years telling everyone what to do and in the last few days, she has made me feel like a rookie again,” Adam said as they descended the stairs.  
“They’re bred that way.”  
“That does not surprise me. Anyway, we need to find somewhere quiet to sit down and work out what we know so far.”  
“Shall we join Holly in the Cauldron?”  
“Not straight away, she’s meeting a friend.”  
Tony placed his hand on his arm as they stepped through the main door and Diagon Alley appeared around them, looking almost the same as the first time Adam had arrived here, although a little less shocking this time. He pointed to a bench outside a small shop.  
“What do you want to talk about?” Tony asked as they sat down.  
“Inconsistencies.” Tony looked puzzled. “Miss Lynwood stated she was waiting for the Moon market, but we both know the Moon market had been and gone before she was knocked out of the air.”  
“Good point, unless Hulda was lying to them about that.”  
“How could they miss those huge blue domes over the market?”  
“She also mentioned Dulcia Woodrow and Urian Adair were both at the meeting. We need to get to a Pensive and look at her memories.”  
“You mentioned that before, where can we find one of these Pensive’s?”  
“The Ministry has the only one I know of. I think most schools have one.”  
“The Ministry is currently out of bounds. I wonder who the other well-dressed Wizard she mentioned was?”  
“If his face was masked, then a pensive won’t allow us to identify him.”  
“One thing I’ve been thinking about, which Miss Lynwood seems to have confirmed, is that we might be dealing with at least two crimes. I think that whoever at the Ministry got us involved, grabbed the awkward stuff and dumped it on us.”  
“Could very well be, but how did you work that out?”  
“The murders we first investigated seem to be different to whatever Hulda Scrivens seems to be doing, different MO, different settings. The murders seem to have been a message to someone, whereas Hulda’s crimes seem to be more emotionally based.”  
“We’d have more if we could see her two friends’ memories as well. I’ll have a go at contacting someone at the Ministry, who we can trust.”  
“Sounds good to me, but one thing before we go?” Adam said. “She mentioned a prophecy, that’s the second time I’ve heard this.”  
“Who else mentioned it?”  
“Botilda in the Leaky Cauldron when we met her the first time. She said to treat people how you want to be treated and avoid prophecies.”  
“Good advice. You carry on to the Cauldron and I’ll pop into the office and see who I can contact about the Pensive.”


	26. The Prophecy

Adam stepped into the pub, walked towards the bar, receiving several nods of recognition, which he passed back. He smiled to himself, realising that nobody questioned him being there. He saw Holly with another girl in the corner, whose explosion of curly brown hair, bounced as she laughed.  
A drink appeared in front of him as he stopped at the bar.  
“Young Garrett with you?” The barman asked.  
“He’s gone to his office. He’ll be here soon.”  
“You meeting anyone?”  
Adam was puzzled why the barman wanted to know this. “The two young ladies in the corner.”  
“Thought so, watch your step with the blond one. You’ll want food then. I’ll drop a menu on the table.”  
“Do you mean Fairweather?”  
“Yes, she’s a bad un.”  
“That’s Holly, not Stormy.” A look of confusion crossed the man’s face.  
“Who’s Holly?”  
“Stormy’s daughter.”  
“She ain’t got a daughter.”  
“She has, and that is her.” Adam smiled and turned away.  
“Before you go.” He asked stopping Adam in mid-stride. “Why is she dressed so strangely?”  
“She’s in police uniform.” Adam chuckled to himself at the strange dress comment when most of the patrons were wearing embroidered gowns and pointed hats.  
“Is she really, never seen the like before.” He nodded knowingly. Adam could tell the man was not finished. “What’s a police uniform?” He asked after a moment’s hesitation.  
Adam paused for a moment, trying to assimilate this comment. “Something that nobody down here never needs to worry about.”  
“That’s good to know. As long as she doesn’t bring her mother in.” The barman said happily as he moved away to help another customer.  
He walked over to the table, tankard in hand and stopped before them. Holly leapt up, almost standing to attention.  
“Sir.”  
“Holly, this is your world and I’m only a Muggle, call me Adam.” He said sitting himself down opposite the new girl. Holly sat down, looking pensively at her friend.  
“This isn’t my world either, where’s Tony.” She asked looking at the door.  
“He’s on his way.”  
“Oh crap.” Exclaimed the new girl, standing up as the door to the pub opened.  
“I’m not an ogre, honestly,” Adam said confused by her sudden movement and comment.  
“It’s not you, it’s her.” He looked around and saw Botilda striding towards them.  
“Hello Botilda, good to see you.” He said smiling at her, receiving a big smile back.  
“What are you doing here?” She spat the moment she saw Holly, her demeanour had changed, her face scowling. Adam noticed her hand was in her bag, he assumed she was grabbing for her wand.  
Holly almost jumped up, her stance ready to fight. “I’m Holly, not Stormy.” She almost shouted. Adam Watched Botilda’s shoulders drop as she calmed down.  
“Of course you are. I am so sorry, but you look so like your Mother. I’m Botilda.” She apologised, clasping her hand.  
“I know you, my Mother has said some very unpleasant things about you,” Holly replied, retaking her seat as Botilda released her hand and sat in Adams seat. He reached over and pulled another one up and sat down between them.  
“Your mother has said many hurtful things about me, some of them are, admittedly true, some of them are definitely not.”  
“How can I help you?” Asked Adam of Botilda, moving them away from the conversation they were about to have.  
“It’s not to see you I’m sorry to say, it’s Tony I want, he has taken memories and I want them.” She turned her head and looked at Megan. “And you Megan Trelawney and I are going to have a chat.”  
“No.” Said the girl who he now knew was called Megan.  
“My dear, one person you do not argue with, is me, understand.” Adam was looking at Botilda, there was a hardness in her voice, that told Adam she would not be messed with. For a moment she was a different person as he remembered Luthor’s comments. Like everyone he met in this world, they all had two sides to them, then again he thought, so does everyone.  
After a moment of silence, while the two women stared at each other, hostility in Megan’s, calmness in Botilda’s, Holly spoke.  
“Megan, this is DCI Adam Croft, he’s the one working with the Auror Tony Garrett. Adam this is Megan Trelawney.” She was gazing at him, almost as if she knew him.  
“Nice to meet you Megan, are you a wand waverer?” He asked as he held her hand for a moment, feeling it tremble.  
“Wand waverer Adam, she’s a bloody witch, like I am.” Replied Botilda humour in her voice.  
“I am a witch.” Megan replied her voice had an odd quivering quality to it, almost as if she were singing or extremely nervous.  
“I do mean witch, but I’m not keen on calling nice young ladies, witches.”  
“It is the correct term and you won’t offend anyone here, although I’m not like the others, I don’t use a wand that much.”  
They stopped for a moment as a small piece of paper flicked around their heads before sliding onto the table between them all.  
Botilda stood. “I’d better be going, there are several confused Muggles chasing their children around the shops. Adam, tell Mr Garrett I want those memories, Megan, come and see me, do not make me come and find you.” She turned out waiting for a reply, flouncing towards the door. “Goodbye Adam,” she called as she left.  
“Bloody memory thief.” Spat Megan.  
Adam decided to ignore the comment until later. “I assume this is the menu.” Adam picked it up, staring at the brown parchment with its neat handwritten menu. “Nature of the job is we eat when we get the chance, would you care to join us?”  
They both nodded and Adam handed over the menu.  
“I can tell by your demeanour that one of you has something important to tell me?” He asked, looking at Megan, noticing the look of worry on her face. She visibly paled under his scrutiny before steeling herself. The door opened and Tony entered the inn, stopping at the bar and picking up a drink.  
“What have I missed?” He asked sitting down.  
“Botilda just came in and got all up in people’s faces.” Said Adam.  
“I know, she caught me outside. She want’s copies of the memories we have.”  
“Why would she want them?” Asked Adam, more confused than normal.  
“She’s the memory thief.” Said Megan, still unhappy.  
“That’s right.” Said Tony happily. “I knew I’d met her before, she used to come to Hogwarts each year and take everyone’s memories.”  
“Why?” Asked Adam, the menu on the table forgotten.  
“She set up some memory thing.”  
“The Hall of memories.” Finished Megan.  
“Never heard of it.” He replied.  
“It’s down on level nine.” Tony’s eyebrows lifted.  
“What’s wrong with level nine?” Adam asked, spotting Tony’s surprise.  
“No time to explain, that’s if I even knew what went on down there, I just know enough to keep away.” He looked over at the bar. “Lean back everyone, elbows off the table.” He said pushing all the drinks to one side and then leaning back, the others followed suit. Four plates with the Leaky Cauldrons huge hot sandwiches appeared before them. Adam looked across the room at the barman, who smiled and gave him a thumbs up sign. He shook his head again, as usual, the choice he had made in his mind, was now sitting in front of him.  
“Megan, this is Tony, you were about to tell us something?” Adam asked between mouthfuls.  
“Hello, Megan.” He dropped his sandwich, reached across, and shook her hand.  
“Hi, my great aunt was Sybil Trelawney.” She said pausing, expecting them to know who she was.  
“I know that name.” Said Tony stopping in mid-bite, eyes gazing into space, both Adam and Holly shook their heads. “Don’t know why though.” He continued after a moment.  
“She was a Hogwarts Professor of divination for many years. She was known for some prophecies.” Megan said looking down at the table.  
Adam looked up at her for a moment. “You’re not here for a free meal are you?”  
“No.” She seemed to shrink back.  
“Somehow I’ve avoided divination all my life, why do I get the feeling that’s about to change,” Tony replied with resignation.  
“Aunty Sybil made some important prophecies that came true. She made quite a few, but most people only know about the major ones.”  
“What were they?” Adam asked, his interest piqued.  
“It was a long time ago, but she correctly prophesied the wizarding war and the rise and fall of Voldemort.” Tony’s eyes grew wide as he dropped his sandwich down on the plate.  
“Now that’s a name I have heard.” Adam noticed the humour had gone from his face.  
“My family’s ability to prophesize has been diminishing for generations.” Megan continued. “For instance, my father has never made a prophecy, his sister has though. I have never produced a prophecy. In fact, my ability with magic is poor. I almost didn’t get into Hogwarts and only just passed my owls, some of them anyway.”  
Adams’ head started to swing from person to person.  
“End of school exams,” Tony said, noticing his head swivel.  
“The important thing is that not long before my Aunt died, she made a prophecy. She had the same one three times while we were together.”  
“Do you mean fortune telling?” Adam asked. They all looked at him for a moment before looking back at Megan. Adam’s eyebrows raised at the obvious disdain he had received, unhappy at the dismissal.  
“What was the prophecy?” Asked Tony. Megan looked at Tony saying nothing.  
Adam took a large bite out of the sandwich, bored with the conversation, feeling left out to a degree.  
“The prophecy starts with two men.”  
“You think this could have something to do with us,” Tony asked before adding. “Prophecy is a very inexact subject.” Adam was sitting looking at them, his jaw working on a mouthful of sandwich.  
She pulled a slim roll of parchment out of her jacket and handed it to Tony. He dropped his sandwich, wiped his hands and took it, pulling the red ribbon from it. He placed it on the table and using a couple of mugs to hold it flat. The parchment, old, stained, the edges frayed. In neat handwritten script was line after line of writing.  
“I wrote this parchment when I was eight years old, dictated to me by my Aunt three days before she died.”

 

‘A Muggle-born wizard and a Muggle law enforcer shall come together upon a quest that has no answer.  
The Garrett is new to his work and keen to progress but will be unhappy with his lot.  
The Croft, who is not new to our world, has things to hide that are unknown even to himself.  
Many years will pass before the quest finds an answer, but too late this will be.  
In the year of sixty-two, the Garrett shall lead the few, as the many goes to war.  
The world will burn for seven days until the many consumed in fire.  
The Garrett shall take the few to safety.  
Hidden, the few will be and this way they will remain.’

She pulled another parchment, this one in a worse condition than the first. She unrolled it and placed it on top off the first. It was identical, the writing, childlike, spelling mistakes scattered through it.  
“I wrote this down for my Aunt two years before that one. Twenty years ago.”  
Tony looked at Adam, opened his mouth to speak, and then closed it again.  
“Do you lot put any importance on this sort of thing,” Adam asked his amusement on the subject was slipping.  
Tony looked at him. “We have an entire Ministry department that looks after prophecies and stores them in the Hall of Prophecy for the future. Yes, the Ministry takes them very seriously.”  
“This one was never put in the hall,” Megan added.  
“Why not?” Tony asked, his voice raised with surprise.  
“She was terrified about the contents. She had already foretold a wizarding war, this one foretells something far worse.”  
“How many of these prophecies actually come true?” Adam asked, starting to take an interest in the conversation again.  
“It’s very hard to tell. Some are so vague about what they are saying, it could be right, whatever happens, some are so correct, it’s very frightening.”  
“What level of vagueness does this one suggest?” He asked already knowing the answer.  
“Not very vague.” Tony turned to Megan. “I have to take this seriously and take it to the Ministry.”  
“I know.” She almost whispered, her head down, refusing to look at anyone.  
“You know they’ll want to interview you?”  
“Yes. They’re going to want to interview you two as well.” She replied.  
“Only if I give them the chance. Anyway, it’s an old prophecy that’s not supposed to happen for another twenty-two years.”  
“But it specifically mentions both of your names. Considering one of you is a Muggle and the other has no family in the Wizarding world, it’s more than a little strange.” Holly said as she finished her sandwich.  
Adam leant across the table towards Tony.  
“Was Botilda onto something, because I’m thinking Luthor Crabbe knows all about this prophecy and a hell of a lot more.”  
“And the Ministry. Let’s keep that information to ourselves for now.” Tony replied.  
Adam grinned at him. “You’re learning fast my young Paduan.  
“I have no idea what that means, but I believe you are right and we are being led around by at least two parties.” He looked down at his unfinished meal, his appetite gone. “Paduan got it.” He exclaimed.

 

To be continued in part two of

The Muggle and the Auror. 

The Aurors Lament.

 

 

 

Characters  
Wizards and Witches  
Percey Weasley Minister for Magic  
Maldue Ledford Head of the Department of Mysteries  
Willard Endicott Minister for International Magical Cooperation  
Merrill Woodrow Minister  
Botilda Grimworthy Head of Hall of Memories  
Tony Garrett Auror  
Maxton (Monty) Nithercott Auror  
Edlyn Balsom Ministry Worker (Part Veela)  
Elfrida Hedgecock Ministry Worker (Dead)  
Clinton Hedgecock Ministry worker  
Argonia Huxley Ministry Worker (Dead)  
Megan Trelawney Ministry Worker  
Heather Fawcett Tyndall Ministry Worker  
Alistone Bradwardine Ministry Worker  
Charley Weasley Drake Hanterare and Dragonologist  
Ramsey Arn Drake Hanterare and Dragonologist  
Dulcia Woodrow Trainee Drake Hanterare  
Drifa Trainee Drake Hanterare  
Ninian Ferhe Drake Hanterare (Dead)  
Amanda Le Clair Matron of St Mungo's  
Pinne Byquest Wandmaker  
Stormy Fairweather Daily Prophets Lead Reporter  
Gabrielle Lynwood Hogsmead Barmaid  
Eric Clerkin Hogsmead Barman (Dead)  
Luthor Crabbe Keeper of Records and Prophecies at the AMC  
Urian Adair (Senior) Macusa Minister  
Arcadius Darnell Hogwarts Professor  
Goranuk Durmstrang Professor (Goblin)  
Augustine Morrell Unknown Witch  
Hulda Scrivens Witch, works in Muggle World  
Urian Adair (Junior) Unemployed

Muggles  
Adam Croft Police Inspector  
Holly Fairweather Police Constable (Squib)  
Dan Marchbank Police Superintendent Scotland Yard  
Cliff Nugent Police Commissioner Scotland Yard  
Gwen Jones (Croft) Junior School Teacher  
Marc Ewan Muggle (Dead)  
Robin Allinson Muggle (Dead)  
Sarah Mitchell Muggle (Dead)

Others  
Meninda Ministry House Elf

Places and Items  
AMC African Magical Congress. Situated somewhere in the Serengeti National Park

Aunt Matilda Old Dutch barge used by Tony Garrett as a home. Has had many magical extras, including extensions spells and flight capability.

Bishops Bridge Ministry of Magic Tube Station  
St Mungo’s Tube Station  
Parliament Hill Tube Station  
Goodmayers Park Tube Station  
Camberwell Cemetery Tube Station

Drake Hanterare Name used by the residents of Lykkeligdal and Durmstrang for a Dragon Handler.

Kosteskaft Broomstick.

Lykkeligdal Happy Valley. Wizard only village in Northern Sweden or Norway. Durmstrang’s version of Hogsmeade

Moon Market A market that appears in different placed around the world for one night only. Is illegal in some countries, and ignored by most. Access is via invite only.

Ormstone Wizards/Muggle village near Brighton

Torkel Thor’s Cauldron. Pub in Lykkeligdal


End file.
